True Bloodwork
by writtenly
Summary: Bella's blood finally pushes Edward to the edge. As he struggles to forget her, he finds himself caught in a cycle of sex, lies, and corruption. He joins a search of a missing vampire, but the closer he comes to he truth, the closer he comes to her.
1. Chapter 1 The Visitor

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**_For those of you who haven't already read my previous fanfics, A Dark Adaptation of New Moon and A Dark Adaptation of Breaking Dawn, this story, which is both - a continuation of the two and a crossover to True Blood - picks up from the two and you may find some things that don't make any sense. I advise you to go back to those before reading this one._**

**_As for everyone who is already following this story, I present you with the beginning of my first ever crossover. I hope you continue to enjoy the story._**

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Chapter 1

**THE VISITOR **

_Edward's POV:_

Her smile was infectious. She stared at me brightly with her hand outstretched towards me. As if reading my mind, Carlisle places his hand on my shoulder.

"It's all right, Edward. She knows what we are. She's very well acquainted with our kind."

I eyed him skeptically and slowly raised my hand to shake hers. She had a firm and warm grip.

"It's so nice to meet you" she said with a very strong southern accent. "Carlisle's told me so much about you. I didn't think I'd ever meet a vampire who could read minds just like me."

"You can read minds?" I frowned as I released her hand.

She bubbled in delight. "Yes! Yes I can!"

I stared at her for a moment, intrigued and weary. Either she caught something in my stare or she read my mind.

"Oh," she said, her face changing to alarm. "I can't read vampires' minds though." She glanced nervously at Carlisle and I jumped right into her thoughts.

_Grreat. He must think I'm a lunatic. He'll never agree to this._

"Agree to what?" I asked.

Her thoughts went blank as she stared at me wide-eyed, her lips curling up to her winsome smile.

"Edward, Sookie came here to ask for your help in something. I met her while I was at the convention in Louisiana and she knew immediately what I was. It appears that you both have certain things in common, apart from mind reading. See, her boyfriend is vampire."

So, she was a human dating a vampire. I still didn't see where this was going.

"His name is Bill Compton," she said, "and he was taken by another vampire, I believe, and I need your help in finding him."

I was completely lost. What in the world could I do to help her find a missing vampire? What was Carlisle even thinking?

"I'm sorry, Miss. But I don't see how I can be of any help for you. We are a very private coven and rarely venture out. We don't acquaint ourselves with others and the few covens that we _are _close to… well, let's just say they would never abduct anyone, let alone a vampire."

"But you can help, actually. See, I can't read vampire minds. I can only read human minds. What I need from you is if you could please tap into the minds of a couple of vampires that I suspect know something about it. That's all. I'm not asking you to go out there looking for him" she smiled, shaking her head.

I didn't like this. A vampire kidnapped by another vampire only meant trouble. Perhaps he was involved in something that she was unaware of.

"I will pay for all your expenses and your services" she said earnestly. I fought back a chuckle.

"Miss Stackhouse, I would never allow you to pay a single cent. However, I'm not sure I would be able to assist you in your search for him. I'm sorry to have to say this, but vampires have no interest in vampire blood. If they've taken him, it must be for another reason and I'm afraid it might not be a good one. Perhaps you should wait and see if he returns. If he doesn't, I would advise you to move on as he may have been more of a hazard to you than a friend."

Her lips formed a hard line and I braced myself for her argument.

"Bill is no hazard to me! I don't know why they've taken him but I know he was not involved in any wrong doing of any sort. He is good and tries to mainstream. He doesn't feed off human blood, he doesn't glamour people into doing things…"

_"Glamour?"_

"Yes, glamour… you know, that thing you fellas do to get what you want. Like hypnotism."

Now I couldn't hold it. I let out a laugh and regretted it at once.

"I don't see what is so funny when my boyfriend is out there somewhere and I haven't got a clue as to why or who would've taken him. So if you really think this is a joke, then I have obviously wasted my time by coming here!"

She grabbed her handbag from the sofa and began to march towards the door. Carlisle gave me a grave look and I reluctantly turned to follow her.

"Ms. Stackhouse, wait, please" I called after her, reaching her as she was opening the door.

She stopped but did not turn around to look at me.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just a term I've never heard before. I was not laughing at your predicament, I swear."

She didn't say anything though her mind was screaming profanities at me.

"Look, "I said heavily. "Grant me some time to think about it. Since it involves traveling, I'll need to square away a few things."

She turned and looked at me with a tight smile.

"Thank you. I leave tomorrow afternoon. If you could let me know by then, I would truly appreciate it."

I nodded my head once and she turned and walked out the door.

"I'm sorry for not consulting with you before introducing her" said Carlisle as I closed the door.

"It would've been nice of you if you did, but I'm not really upset." I said.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Edward. I was just moved by her and thought that you might be able to help."

"Carlisle, doesn't it seem odd to you that a vampire would be the one to take him? This doesn't sound good at all. I'm almost sure he was involved in something."

We both stared at the floor, in thought. After a long moment, I turned and opened the door getting ready to leave.

"Off to see Bella?" he asked.

"Later on. Right now I have a 4'ft vampire to take to the movies."

Carlisle smiled. "I'm so glad that she's allowed you to partake in raising him." I turned around and made my way to the car.

****

"I can't believe they left out the part of Dumbledore's sister, Ariana!" complained Lucian. "Why would they take that out?"

"So… you did or you didn't like it?" I asked, smiling as I held the car door open for him.

"Well, it was ok, I guess. I really wish mom would let me see Transformers though."

"Give me some time. I'll convince her" I said winking.

Bella's house wasn't too far from mine. She had bought a lake house by Lake Ozette, the only house within a 15 mile radius. She claimed she wanted it because of its view and design, but I knew far too well that the only reason she chose it was because it provided shelter from the public eye. She has become very overprotective of Lucian, and despite my attempts of making her see that there was nothing for her to worry about, she still chose to live in isolation.

It was dark out when we finally arrived to house. The theater was literally an hour away. Light shot through every window of the two story lake house, another sign of her paranoia. I got out of the car and scooped Lucian up. I shut the door and turned to walk to the house, when I found that I was already inside. I looked at Lucian with narrow eyes.

"Show off" I said as he put him down. He laughed and darted up the stairs.

"Mom! We're home!"

She didn't answer back and I looked around and didn't find her downstairs, so I headed upstairs. I found her curled up and asleep in her bed. There were times I envied her. Not only did she become a vampire, but because she was also half human, she was able to sleep.

I walked over to the side of her bed, taking away the book she was reading and laying it open on her nightstand to the page she dosed off on. I stood there for a long moment, completely mesmerized as I took her in. Even now, after so much time, I couldn't get use to her beauty and neither did I want to get use to it, though I doubt I would ever grow tired and bored of it.

What I'd give to hear her thoughts, let alone be the blood that flows through her veins. I wish I could inundate her mind with mesmerizing reveries that would cast away all her nightmares and soothe her to sleep. If I were her heart, I'd purge myself all the pain, all the suffering it's taken and command it to beat only for me. To say that I love her is nothing to what I truly feel for her.

I glided my fingers across her cheek and she blinked until she was awake and staring at me with her wondrous eyes.

"Hey" she said softly and smiling.

"Hi."

"How'd it go?"

"He had fun. Complained that it didn't stick to the book, but enjoyed it nonetheless."

She smiled and I swear I could feel my dead heart twitch.

"That's good" she said.

We stared at eachother for a moment before I broke my eyes away from hers, afraid that I'd lose it and kiss her.

"You're tired. I'll let you rest" I said as I took a step to leave.

"No I'm not" she said calmly.

I looked down at her as she moved back towards the center of the bed, signaling me to lay down by her. If she only knew how hard it was for me to be this close to her and pretend to be just a nonchalant friend with no intentions of taking her and making love to her. But against my better judgment, I obliged and took space next to her, facing her but keeping a safe distance between our bodies. She smiled at me with her hands tucked beneath her pillows.

"Know what I was thinking?" she asked.

"Are you trying to be funny, Bella, because if you are, you're failing miserably."

She laughed softly and turned onto her back, facing the ceiling.

"I was thinking we should paint the kitchen a pistachio green" she mused.

I stared at her unmoving, unthinking, unsmiling.

"What do you think?" she asked looking at me now.

"I like the way you say _'we'_" I said seriously.

"Oh come on, you know I wouldn't let you do all the painting alone. Emmet probably wouldn't let you reach for the roller!"

I smiled. "That's not what I meant."

Her smile faded by only a fraction. She stared at me and though I couldn't read her mind, I can tell she was warring on her emotions. I know that she loves me, but she's so bent on punishing herself for leaving me for Gabriel that she's holding herself back from coming back to me.

"You're too good to me" she said.

"And you're not."

She looked at me, her smile washed away and before I could realize it, I was leaning in towards her. I stopped just an inch from her face, my eyes moving along her face and down to her lips. This was the closest I've been to her since the day she left me. I could feel the warm moisture from her lips, pushing me to the edge. She stared at me and I risked another half inch, until my lips were grazing hers lightly. Her heart sped up and mine felt like it was coming back to life. I can feel her breath spread across my face in a delicate swirl and then I felt it pull away as she moved back.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly.

I lay there, staring back at her, trying to collect myself.

"No, I am. I shouldn't have…" I stammered. "I should leave you alone…" I said as I began to sit up.

"No" she said, grabbing my wrist. "Don't go. It's just that I… I…"

I turned back and pulled her close, not trying to seduce her in any way, and she didn't fight back.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Bella. I'm here, and I'll remain by your side as long as you wish me to."

She didn't say anything else for the rest of the night and I didn't let my emotions get the best of me. She needed me, and not the way I needed her, but I was there for her regardless. I hummed her lullaby until she was sound asleep and my mind went back to the conversation I had with Sookie.

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**_More to follow soon..._**


	2. Chapter 2 An Insight

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Chapter 2

**AN INSIGHT**

_Bella's POV:_

I woke to find that he had already left, the pillow in which he laid, still crumpled where his head rested. I moved my head over to it, burying my face into it. I was so close to losing it yesterday. So close to kissing him and I found myself regretting that I passed up the chance. I've never really stopped loving him, even when I had left him. I knew that the thought of him and all the things we shared and went through would forever haunt me. But my attempt to live a life with the father of my child, failed.

When Gabriel died, I felt homeless - afraid and alone with my only son, not knowing where to go or where to start. Edward stayed by my side the whole time, ready and willing to reconstruct the relationship we once had. But I couldn't bring myself to it. I had hurt him. Regardless of the misconceptions that led up to my having Gabriel's child, I felt I had no excuse for betraying Edward. I felt I should have killed myself sooner upon learning of his death, which was in itself a selfish fabrication of Gabriel's. I later came to understand why Gabriel did it, why he lied to me and although I couldn't forgive him for it, it was already too late. I was pregnant with his child. A child that was destined to be born.

As if calling out his name through my thoughts, Lucian appeared, literally, materializing right before my eyes.

"Lucian," I scowled, "what have I told you about popping in and out of sight?"

"Oh mom! We're in our home. No one can see me!" he whined.

"I can see you and I've asked you time and time again to stop doing it. Walk like everyone else does."

"Ok, ok" he said turning around with his head bowed making ready to leave the room. I pulled him by his shirt and onto the bed on top of me. He giggled as I tickled him along the ribs. He has such a delightful laugh.

"Stop it! Stop it! I can't breathe!" he cried between hysterics.

"Who says you need to breathe?" I teased.

Then he did something I didn't see coming. He morphed instantly into a bullfrog, fat and hideously repulsive as it sat on my stomach.

"Lucian!" I cried out as he took a leap and morphed back into his natural form, laughing uncontrollably.

"You should've seen your face!" he cried.

"That wasn't funny" I muttered annoyingly.

"Oh yes it was!"

I couldn't keep my face straight for too long. I began laughing as well.

Lucian looked exactly like Gabriel. He had his small nose and mouth and frame of face. His hair was a dark coffee bean brown and wavy, which had grown past his chin now. His body's structure down to the last toe resembled his father's. The only thing he got from me was his eyes, dark brown as mine. They had little streaks of red undertones, which was the norm for him because of his diet. Since he was a pure vampire, he drank a lot of human blood. Carlisle kept a supply for him from the local blood banks. Even though I've tried to turn him into a vegetarian like the Cullen's, it proved very difficult for him. He was too young and Carlisle told me that human blood was just as essential as formula was to a human baby.

"So what do you have in mind for today?" I asked as smoothed his hair from his face.

"I want to go to Carlisle's!" he jumped in excitement.

"Carlisle's?" I whined.

"Yes! He promised me he would show me how to dissect a frog today!"

My stomach turned. I had him only a month ago and yet, he's grown quickly to a boy of six years old. It was unfair that I couldn't enjoy the pleasures of ordinary mothers who watched their babies grow slowly as they were meant to be. Instead, I tried desperately to be there for him every second of his life, afraid to miss any milestones. Four weeks ago, he was nestled in my arms, hands as tiny as a rose petal, and now, he was ready to dissect his first frog.

"Come on mom! What do you say?" he asked his eyes wide and pleading.

"Oh, all right" I finally gave in.

"Yesss!" he said as he climbed off the bed and ran out the room.  
"I want your room clean!" I called after him. Three seconds later, he calls back "Done!"

He really enjoyed the Cullen's company, especially Edward's. And I was grateful to have them all in his life. He was truly loved.

****

As we drove up the driveway of the Cullen's house, I spotted a small Chevy Malibu parked outside. Moments later, the front door of the house opened and out came a small woman with brilliantly blonde hair and tanned skin. Edward came out behind her.

"Who's that?" asked Lucian.

"I don't know." I caught myself frowning and feeling a bit insecure.

We drove up behind the Malibu, catching the stranger's attention. Edward smiled warmly with his hands in his pocket as I made my way up the steps to the porch.

"WOW! I must say, you are absolutely beautiful!" said the woman, with a sharp southern twang. "Is this her?" she asked looking at Edward.

"Yes, this is Bella… and Lucian."

My insides froze when he said his name. I was very overprotective of Lucian and didn't like anyone meeting him, let alone, know his name. I kept my hands on his shoulders as she bent down and smiled at him. I could smell her blood and I knew she was human. I wasn't afraid of Lucian attacking her, since he was more than capable of controlling the thirst, but I was worried of her touching him, and noticing how unnaturally cold his skin was. I looked up at Edward nervously who mouthed the word 'relax'.

"Well oh my goodness, aren't you a little darling!" she said to Lucian. "How old are you?"

My heart froze.

"I'm six" he said proudly.

"Six? Well, you're one dashing little six year old" she said enthusiastically and she placed her hand on his chin. Instinctively, I pulled him away. She stood up, staring at me with wide apologetic eyes.

"I'm so sorry! How could I be so stupid? My name is Sookie Stackhouse. I'm a friend of Carlisle and I know what you all are. My boyfriend is a vampire also. We live in Louisiana. It's such a pleasure to meet you. Edward has told me so many wonderful things about you. He said you were stunning but my golly, you're so much more than that!" she smiled in disbelief.

I couldn't shake loose of my nerves but I offered a smile nonetheless.

"Thank you" was all I could conjure.

She stared at me strangely for a moment and then as if sensing the awkwardness, she turned to Edward who I could have sworn had just jumped in reaction to something.

"Well then, I'll be on my way but I want to thank you for your help. I owe you a lot" she said to him.

"You're very welcome. I'll walk you to your car" he said, being ever the gentlemen.

"It was nice meeting you Bella and you too Lucian" she said with a twinkling smile.

There was something about her that unsettled me and I know it wasn't jealously. Whatever it was, I didn't trust it.

****

_Edward's POV:_

I waited until we were far enough away from Bella to hear us whisper.

"You can read her mind?" I asked, completely taken aback by this revelation. As she was looking at Bella a moment ago, I heard her voice, in Sookie's thoughts. It wasn't clear and I couldn't make out the words but I knew it was Bella's voice.

"Not exactly," she frowned, looking over my shoulder. "I picked up something, but I couldn't make it out. What is she?"

I turned and looked at Bella as she was making her way in the front door, looking back at me.

"She's part human and part vampire" I said turning back to Sookie.

"Get out. Seriously? I've never heard of anything like that before" she mused.

"It's not a common" I said.

"So she's a human, but immortal… right?"

"That's right."

"Can _you _read her mind?" she asked.

"No. Unfortunately, I can't. No one can, so the fact that you were able to pick up something took me completely by surprise. Perhaps you may be able to repay someday after all."

"Gladly," she beamed as she turned around and got into her car.

"Tonight then? Say at 8:00?"

"Yes, that would be fine."

"Does she know that you're leaving town?"

I looked back at the house and then back at Sookie.

"Not yet, but I'll tell her now."

As the car drove away, I found myself wondering what was running through Bella's head when Sookie was staring at her and I wondered how she would take the news of my leaving to Dallas to help Sookie. I turned and began to make my way to the house.

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**_More to follow soon...._**

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	3. Chapter 3 Awakened

Chapter 3

**AWAKENED**

_Edward's POV:_

I made my way back to the front door with my hands in my pockets and submerged deep within my thoughts. I found it fascinating that Sookie was able to read Bella's mind, or at least catch a trace of it. Perhaps if she could harness her concentration, focus hard enough... _What am I saying? _Already I was thinking about invading her privacy. Though I would love more than anything to know what she was thinking on those occasions where she would stare idly out the window or what her last thoughts were before falling asleep, I knew her mind was her only private haven, her own personal space. To infiltrate her most private thoughts would be criminal on my part, but a risk I wouldn't mind taking, regardless of what I had to pay in the end if she ever found out that I was playing peeping Tom.

My flight was scheduled to depart in just three hours and I hadn't packed a thing, not that I would need to carry anything more than just a change of clothes, toothbrush, toiletries and my laptop. I was only staying in Dallas for two nights, more than enough time to listen in on Sookie's unofficial suspects and complete my assignment. Hopefully, I can wrap things up by tomorrow and head back home sooner. Ever since finding Bella, I haven't really left her side, except for the end of the day, when she would signal that she was tired and ready to go to bed. Even then, I'd drive back home, park my car and then head right back to her, scaling up her wall and through her window, like I used to do so many times before. I'd always come back to find her asleep, tossing and turning, whimpering at times. I wish I could touch her, pull her out from whatever nightmare she was having but knew that I couldn't. So I'd just sit there, in the shadows, silently watching it all, waiting and praying that she would calm down. Eventually she would, and I was able to breathe again, figuratively speaking.

I walked up the steps, wondering how she would react to the news of my flying out of town with Sookie, _who was a blonde_. Bella seemed to dislike blondes even more than I did. I wondered if it would bother her in even the slightest form. _I wish it would. _If she asked me to, I'd stay… in a heartbeat, content and satisfied in knowing that my being there meant more to her than I thought it did. I took a deep breath as I opened the front door to the house and paused halfway through. The first thing I caught was her scent. It was too concentrated, too pure and yet, she was nowhere around. The second thing I caught, and only a fraction of a second later, was a trail of blood drops leading down the hall, towards the kitchen. _Fuck! _ I sprinted down the hall to left, stopping at the kitchen's archway.

Esme, Alice and Carlisle were all standing around her. I could see her head bowed as she fidgeted with something. Her scent, ever intoxicating, swirled around me flirtatiously, pushing me to my limits. It was always this way with her blood, even more so after her transformation. I walked over to her, gently pushing Esme to the side. Bella was wiping her right arm with irritable strokes. Her forearm was covered in blood.

"What happened?" I asked between clenched teeth, trying desperately not to breathe. Her scent nearly had me undone.

"Nothing" she grimaced. She was annoyed. This was a normal reaction for Bella, just as normal as her continuous accidents.

Judging by the amount of her prodigious blood soaking the towel, I knew the cut was bad. "It's my fault, really" said Esme ruefully. "I bumped into her as I picked up Lucian and she fell back towards the glass console, cutting herself with one of the glass candle holders that broke. I'm so sorry…"

"It's alright" said Bella, pulling her lips to a smile in an apparent effort to shrug it off as nothing.

"Let me see it" I said seriously, and in a low voice. I reached for her arm once again. And once again she pulled it away from me. I swear there are times she pushes my patience so close to its limit.

"It's fine. It's almost gone. I'm just cleaning it up" she said as she continued to wipe off the blood.

_It's almost gone? _ And then I saw it, or what was left of it. I was right on my assumption; it was a bad cut… _when it was there_. I watched it as it slowly tightened, leaving only the slightest trace of a pink jagged line. I couldn't understand what was happening, I mean, yes… vampires heal incredibly fast but the rate with which her wound healed was unprecedented. I stared at her arm. Dumbstruck. Intrigued. Confused. As if reading my mind or at least all of my reactions, Carlisle stepped forward with his PhD plastered all across his face.

"She heals much faster than any of us, because of Gabriel's blood. This is why I have dedicated so much time trying to study it. Its ability to heal is unparallel" he said fascinatingly.

I stood there, momentarily frozen. Paralyzed, really. _'Gabriel's blood'. _ I suppose his explanation made perfect sense though it wasn't fucking fascinating. Even though she was part vampire, her human side dominated her and she was unable to live through the labor. Gabriel's prescription to remedy her death? His blood. In his final act, knowing that she would die, he gave Carlisle his blood and ordered him to inject it into her heart in order to bring her back to life. It worked, but at the same time, he marked her in such a way that it made their bond a sacred one. She was his. Completely.

Her eyes met my blank stare and I could see her furrowing her brow slightly at my demeanor. At the same time, I could feel something building up inside me, something familiar but surprising. It rose from the core of my gut, twisting its way up my chest and arms, past my shoulders, through my neck, across my face until it reached my head, spreading fluidly inside it, announcing its hideous self. It was hate.

My venom, and Alice's, gave her the immortality she craved for, but it was his blood, his fucking supernatural, omnipotent blood that kept her living. It was his blood that flowed through her veins, claiming every inch of her, every iota of her body. It was the ingredient of her heart, the reason it beats. _She was his – flesh and bone. _How could I have been so fucking stupid to allow myself to believe that I would ever win her back, when he was a part of her? I tried hard to maintain a steady face, though I could feel my jaw clenching painfully. I looked up at her, at her wide brown eyes, and even those did nothing to abate the burning fire underneath my skin. She continued to stare at me, dubiously as if sensing the change in me though my face didn't give me away. She knew me well. I tore my eyes away from her, looking towards Alice's direction.

"Alice, I'm sure you have something she can change into."

"Of course, I do" she said a little too enthusiastically.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" asked Bella.

I tilted my head back to her, my eyes narrowing instinctively. "You've gotten blood on your clothes and it… bothers me." I said, knowing that I could've used another word. She took it as if her scent was too potent for me to handle, which was not a lie. Even with his blood mixed in, her scent was too appealing, too seductive for me to stand much longer. I stared at her, trying not to glare, trying to be as nonchalant as possible before turning and walking out. I jogged up the stairs to my room, shutting the door behind me and leaning my back against it, staring up at the ceiling, trying to calm my breathing and trying not to punch anything.

I was surprised at the magnitude of my rage and how it suddenly rushed me, wiping away my senses, beating down all logic. It was almost epiphanic standing there before her, realizing that I fooled myself into thinking that she would eventually come back to me, when the only thing I was doing was waiting in vain for something that would never come. I closed my eyes and breathed in heavily before opening them again and walked over to the closet, pulling out a duffle bag from the top shelf. This trip to Dallas might be just what I needed. Time away from her. Time to occupy myself with something other than her, though, for the time being I found it highly unlikely that I would be able to purge her from my thoughts, let alone my heart. I may never even accomplish getting over her, the concept of it was frightening to me, but I had to try.

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_Bella's POV:_

It was almost laughable, the thought of me being a vampire, at least partially, and still being as clumsy as a mule. It seemed to me like I was perpetually in the wrong place and at the wrong time. It was frustrating, really. Even more so to find myself surrounded by the Cullen's, all staring at me pitifully. _Couldn't I just have a normal life for once? _An immortal one at that?

I walked to the kitchen quickly, holding up my arm, hearing the blood drops falling thickly on the wooden floor. I tried to keep the wound shut by clamping my hand around my forearm but the cut was long, running from my elbow to my wrist. I grabbed the first towel I found and began wrapping it around my forearm when I noticed it sealing all the way towards the end of my wrist. I stood there, frozen, staring at it in shock. _It was sealing itself shut._ Esme, Alice and Carlisle were at my side just then, unmoving and as perplexed as I was. Once I got over the shock of my little phenomenon, I began wiping away the blood once again, mentally cursing myself for my accidental tendencies. Then the front door opened and I knew that in less than two seconds, Edward would be standing right next to me, panic-stricken.

Two seconds later and exactly as I predicted, there he was, panic-stricken. _God, I knew him. _Immediately, he came to my side and I could tell my blood still made him edgy, because his jaw was tight, tiny muscles flexing as he tried to hold himself back. I'd have thought that it would be easier for him now, with me being a vampire. _Partially. _But when he spoke between his teeth, I saw that it was even harder for him now than when I was all human and it only made me more pissed off at myself for being so damn uncoordinated.

When he tried to pull my arm to him, to inspect the gash, I pulled away from him a little too fast and irritated, trying to clean my arm as quickly as I could. Being part vampire now, I knew how bad the thirst can get and I didn't want to put him through that. I worked fast at cleaning my forearm, making a mental note to wash my arm later in alcohol because I knew how blood left its trace behind. I told him it was healing, hoping to relieve him and make him go away until I was free of my own blood.

I saw from the corner of my eye, his reaction when he caught sight of my cut. He almost looked like he walked into a glass wall, bouncing back in alarm. I turned to look at him, and in a flash, the look was gone. His expression was unreadable but perfectly obvious at the same time. He was too focused, like his left was too right. And when Carlisle told him how it was that I was able to heal so quickly, I could've sworn I saw his lips twitch then harden a bit. He stared at me this way for a long moment before asking Alice if she would let me borrow something to wear because my blood was on my shirt and my scent _"bothered him" _and after a short moment, he turned and left. It was obvious to me that something was bothering him. _But what?_

"It looks like some good did come out of all of this" beamed Alice, as she grabbed me by the hand and led me up to her room. I groaned to myself. The thought of having Alice play dress-up with me, made me cringe.

"I'll be with Lucian should anyone need me" said Carlisle, as he planted a quick kiss on Esme's lips. Alice and I made it up to her room and I glanced at Edward's bedroom door as we passed it along the way. It was closed. More than anything I wanted to go in and find out what was wrong with him but I knew that breathing around bloody me would be too difficult for him. So I jumped into the shower and surrendered to Alice who thought she'd convince me into wearing a shirt two sizes too small. After almost an hour long standoff, she gave up trying, allowing me to borrow a pretty white bohemian tunic. My cut was completely sealed by now, only the faintest evidence of a scar remained. I walked out of Alice's room, leaving her talking to herself in her closet and made my way back down the hall to Edward's room. This time the door was slightly opened. I peeked in without touching it but I couldn't see much from the angle I was in, so I knocked once.

"Edward?" I called out. He didn't answer me back. I waited and knocked once more and when he still didn't reply nor invited me – I invited myself. Nostalgia rushed through me the minute I walked into his room. The last time I had been in Edward's room, was when he proposed to me. My eyes moved to the very spot he kneeled to ask me to be his wife. Tears threatened to roll down my face. I walked over to his piano, trying to clear my mind and slid my fingers lightly across the keys. Something about the sound it made sounded so desolate in the still of the room. I walked over to the bathroom door, knocking on it, wondering if he was either getting ready to shower or simply locked away thinking. As I knocked, the door opened just a bit. The lock was not fully engaged.

"Edward?" I called as I walked inside and paused. He wasn't in there either. I sighed impatiently and left his bedroom. He's probably gone hunting after having been exposed to my blood. He always did that whenever my scent proved to be too much for him to manage. I figured I would wait for him downstairs until he got back and then we can talk about what happened to him down there at the kitchen.

Jasper had just come in as I made it down the stairs. "Hi Bella," he said, kissing me on the cheek.

"Hey you" I smiled. Ever since becoming a vampire, again – _partially, _Jasper had become more at ease whenever I was around. He was now able to talk to me like a friend rather than view me as lunch.

"Lucian here?" he asked.

"Yeah, he's with Carlisle. They're examining the anatomy of the frog," I said with a sour face.

"Little nerd. I'll catch up with him later," he said as he continued to make his way up the stairs, but then paused after a couple of steps turning back at me.

"By the way, Alice and I are going to the movies tonight to catch that new movie with Johnny Depp – 'Public Enemies', if you'd like to come along?"

"Um… yeah, why not. I'll see if Edward wants to come too," I said turning to continue my way down the steps.

"Edward?" he asked quizzically. I turned around, frowning dubiously and found him mirroring my reaction.

"Uh, yeah!" I said sarcastically. "You know, the guy you've been living with for the past, oh, 80 years?"

He didn't laugh; instead he looked at me like I had a toe growing out of my forehead. He turned around now, facing me and eyeing me skeptically.

"Bella, Edward's not here," he said in tone like I should've known already. "He's left already. His flight left five minutes ago."

"_He left? _What the hell are you talking about?" I was waiting for it, for the catch, for the punch line. It's something I've grown accustomed to with Jasper. He loved to joke around but did a bad job at keeping his face straight, often cracking up at his own jokes even before he had a chance to finish telling them. Only this time, he wasn't laughing. Instead, he looked serious and even a little nervous. My heart began to pick up, worrying that something was wrong.

"Jasper," I said in warning tone. "What is going on?"

He stared at me wide-eyed and definitely nervous. "But I thought he told you," he said, markedly confused.

"Told me what?" I was impatient now, ready to run up the stairs and pin him against the wall.

"He's gone to Dallas… with the human girl… what's her name… Sookie."

* * *

_**I'm sorry for the delay in posting a new chapter. I've been busy lately with very little sleep (which I found some irony in this chapter's title, now that I think about it. Lol). **_

_**This chapter is important because it shows Edward coming to terms with a darker side of him. He realizes that he's been far too patient and hopeful in waiting for Bella to come back to him.**_

_**Another great thing about this chapter is that it's finally BETA'D!!! Thanks P! You're the best!**_

_**And now, after a good six hour sleep and plenty of coffee and Redbull, I hope to get two or three more chapters in by tomorrow.**_

_**Hope you continue to enjoy the story. **_

_**Reviews keep me awake and going!**_


	4. Chapter 4 Senseless Distraction

Chapter 4

**SENSELESS DISTRACTION**

_Edward's POV:  
_

The six hour flight from Seattle to Dallas flew by rather quickly and did nothing to take my mind away from her. No, this wasn't going to be easy. I closed my eyes, for once welcoming the voices around me, allowing them to fill my head, and drown away my own thoughts. It was the only way I could numb my senses, disconnect myself from my reality. As long as I could remain close to people, I knew I would be okay. _I hope. _After a long moment and my own thoughts muted, I opened my eyes and turned to look out the window as the plane descended and the city lights swelled into view.

The sun had already set by the time I made my way out of the terminal. I found Sookie waiting for me outside, leaning against a car. She radiated against the darkness outside, with her golden tanned skin and glistening blonde locks flowing softly in the breeze. As if she couldn't shine more brightly, she beamed when she saw me walking towards her.

"Yay!" she cheered animatedly. "You made it!"

"As promised," I smiled politely.

"How was your flight?" she asked in that southern accent of hers.

"Pleasant, thank you."

She hugged me the minute I was close, my body tensing the minute she touched me. I knew it was just a friendly greeting but I wasn't expecting it. Neither was I expecting her scent to be so appealing. It was a mix of cotton candy and flowers. I didn't hug her back, not to be rude or anything, but rather because I couldn't move. Sensing my rigidness, she pulled back quickly, a small tinge of pink in her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. Did I startle you? I hope you didn't mind. It's just the way I am" she bubbled. Leaning closer to me now, she whispered: "and besides, I know you're a vampire and what you're supposed to feel like." She winked at me knowingly and smiled as she walked around the car to the driver's seat. There was something… energetic about this girl. I shook my head, smiling and tossed my trolley bag into the back seat before taking my seat in the front. Her scent was much stronger in the enclosed space of the car. I cracked the window just a bit to allow fresh air in as she drove.

"I'm staying at a Days Inn not too far from here. I only booked one room for me because I didn't know if you had already booked anything someplace else," she said as she turned onto the main road. I cringed at the mention of Days Inn. The few times I had needed to stay in a hotel, I made sure it was The Plaza or The Hilton. _Two nights, Edward. Possibly even one._

"That's fine. I'll book a room wherever you're staying at, that way we can just meet up and go," I said. She smiled and began to scan through the radio stations until settling for an upbeat country song that I of course did not know the name of, but I didn't mind it. Because I wouldn't allow myself to listen in on her thoughts, and because I was nowhere around anyone, I channeled all my concentration to the song playing on the radio, letting it sound out over my thoughts of Bella, winning the battle in my head.

"The sun sets here at about 5:30 so I thought we can head out tomorrow at six?" she said.

"That would be fine. I'll be at the lobby at six."

"And you don't have to worry about… um, food. I was able to get some blood bags from the local blood bank. My friend, Tara, works there and she knows about Bill and I. It's how he feeds. He's solid about not feeding directly off humans."

_And I'm solid on not feeding off humans… even human-blood-portion-bags. _

I figured I'd be polite and accept the bags, since she went out of her way. Two nights was nothing. I could easily hold off from feeding until I got back to Washington where I could go hunt. We continued the rest of the fifteen minute drive in silence. When we arrived at the hotel, I booked a room at the front desk while she purchased some snacks from the mini store inside. In the elevator, the mix of her scent and the watermelon Now or Laters' candy she was chewing made breathing difficult. Her scent didn't have the tenacious appeal that Bella's had but it was enough to make me uncomfortable. I held my breath until I was safely away from her, in my room.

I locked the door behind me and turned, still holding on to the trolley bag's handle. I think I must have stood there for a full fledged ten minutes. The silence in the room was deafening but it only amplified my thoughts. I couldn't hear any other voice other than hers, telling me about her ideas for her kitchen, telling me about Lucian's first loose tooth, telling me about the book she was reading, telling me about the new show she was watching… telling me _"it's almost gone."_ I slammed the trolley against the wall on that final thought, leaving a rather expensive dent in it. _Fuck, Edward! Get it together. Keep her out._

It was only 8:49PM and I had nothing in my mind except her, nothing to do except to involuntarily reminisce about her. I left without telling her a word, convincing myself that I was only pissed at myself and not her. But the more and more I try to hide the truth, try to fool myself into thinking that she is not to blame – the more I see that this is all her fault. The whole fucking thing. How could she have let herself believe that I was dead, coming from the mouth of her husband from her past life? How the fuck could she have fallen for that? It had to be because she wanted to believe it.

I ran my fingers through my hair, willing her memory to go away. I had to get out. I had to occupy my head with something. I turned around and left the room, heading straight to the elevator. Dallas was a big city. Surely it provided plenty of distractions.

* * *

_Bella's POV:  
_

What was going on? I couldn't believe he would just up and leave and not even mention it to me, not that I had any say as to what he chose to do, but I thought we were close enough to share everything. He left without saying a word, at least to me. He left his cell phone on his bed, so I couldn't even reach him. My suspicions earlier have been confirmed. Something was wrong with him. _But what?_

And who was this Sookie person anyway? Why was she even here to begin with? I left his room, skimming down the steps and heading straight to Carlisle's lab where I found him and Lucian hunched over the dead frog, picking at it with tweezers. Neither one of them looked up at me when I came in.

"Carlisle, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked, my voice a pitch higher than usual.

"Let's see if you can extract both left and right atriums without touching the lungs" he said to Lucian as he peeled off the latex gloves and made his way around the table.

"Yes, Bella," he smiled, "how's your arm?"

"What's going on?" I asked, ignoring his question. "Why did Edward fly to Dallas?"

He tilted his head to the side, frowning dubiously. "But I thought he told you?"

"No. He didn't tell me anything. He just… left. I mean, there's not a problem with him leaving but the fact that he didn't even mention it to me… it just has me wondering if there's a reason why he wouldn't."

He glanced back at Lucian momentarily then walked past me. "Let's go to my study" he says, leading the way.

He closed the door behind him once I was inside and stood there with his arms crossed in front of him and his head bowed in thought. I could tell from his stance that he, too, was just as confused as I was.

"Did you meet Sookie?" he asked raising his brow.

"Yes, I did. As I was coming in, she was leaving. He introduced us but that was all."

"Has he told you anything about the reason she was here?" he asked.

"No. I figured you'd know." I said, growing more and more anxious with this questioning.

"Come… sit," he said, walking over to his desk. I followed but did not take a seat. He turned around and paused before slowly sinking into his chair.

"Bella, I met Sookie at a convention I had attended in Louisiana. She told me about an incident that involved her boyfriend, who is a vampire. She also told me that, like Edward, she has the ability to read minds but she couldn't read the minds of our kind. She needed help in finding her boyfriend and well… I brought her with me to meet Edward. To see if he could assist her in any way by flying to Dallas and reading the minds of several vampires she thinks may know of his whereabouts. Edward agreed to help her and arranged to fly out to Dallas today."

His explanation didn't really answer much of my questions other than the 'why' he was in Dallas. I figured he wouldn't know the 'why' Edward wouldn't tell me and much less the 'what' was wrong with him. It surprised me that he would even agree to help her. He was a very private person and on top of everything else, I knew that if he could stay by my side, indefinitely, he would. No, Carlisle's response didn't answer much really, instead… it raised just another question. _Why did he want to help her?_

Not waiting for my response, Carlisle reached into his pocket, producing his cell phone. "We'll just give him a call and…"

"You won't get him. He left his cell phone on his bed" I cut in. This also bothered me. His room was impeccably spotless, and I found it impossible to believe that he would have missed the small black cell phone lying flat and obvious on the gold comforter. He _left_ his phone, not forgotten it. This entire thing was unsettling me. Something was wrong. I knew it. I could feel it.

"Bella," he said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I don't understand why he wouldn't have told you, why he would just leave. I'm sure he's alright and he will call once he arrives. I'll make sure to pass him to you when he calls."

I simply nodded and tried to pull off the best smile I could before turning and walking away.

I couldn't understand any of it. He was all smiles when he saw me getting out of my car. I didn't note anything off in his tone when he greeted me. The only change in his demeanor and tone was when he found me in the kitchen after I had gotten cut, but even that didn't make any sense. He knew how clumsy I was and was well used to finding me cut and bleeding. He said that my scent 'bothered' him. It 'bothered' me more that he said it that way. Something told me that the word held a significant meaning to it, other than what you'd find in Webster's. There was definitely something up with him and I had no way of finding out. At least now.

* * *

_Edward's POV:  
_

The club couldn't be a better place to hide from my own thoughts. With the pulsating music resonating through my body, I couldn't hear myself think. It was perfect. I sat in a dark corner, drinking a couple of shots in an effort to blend in. The place closed at five in the morning, so at least I had a couple of 'Bella-free' hours. I knew I had another thirteen hours to account for after that but I decided I'd cross that bridge when I got there.

I didn't even notice her when she sat by my side. Her hair looked like it was on fire and her eyes looked like the edge of a deep green sea. She was pretty, for a human.

"You know what I don't understand?" she asked flirtatiously as she leaned closer to me. "Is how a guy like you, can sit here, looking so fucking hot and alone, when there's a perfectly willing and available woman like me waiting for you to take me back to your place…" she slid her hand up my inner thigh, "…and screw me senseless."

She was too drunk and incoherent to note my unnaturally cold and hard skin, though it had nothing to do with the stiffness that was pushing against her hand. I suppose I could have her if I wanted to, 'screw her senseless' as she so colorfully put it. After all, I was single, _weren't I? _I took another shot, gulping it down, letting it burn in my chest. She was rubbing hard against my penis, breathing provocatively in my ear, a mix of blood and liquor washing all over my face, the mix of it arousing me even more. The next thing I knew, I was getting into a cab with the girl with the red hair, and the next… she was giving me a rather amazing blow job in the back seat, the next… my tongue was halfway down her throat in the elevator, and then, I was _screwing her senseless _against the wall of my hotel room, pushing into her like I wanted to dent the wall behind her again. She loved every minute of it, crying out God's name like a broken record. I could feel her burning wetness every time she climaxed, making me thrust into her harder until her moans were borderline groans of pain, a pain that she apparently didn't want to stop. Not once did I think of her, of the girl I used to call _my Bella. _My redhead friend had served me much to my satisfaction, and in the morning, she would awake to find herself sitting on the front step of her house, not knowing how she got there and not knowing that she had probably the best fuck of her life by none other than yours truly.

* * *

_**More to follow soon…**_


	5. Chapter 5 Twinkle

Chapter 5

**TWINKLE**

_Edward's POV:_

I lay in bed, with my eyes closed, though, not asleep and nowhere near of being tired even after the five hour sex-capade with the redhead. Eventually, she passed out, either from her drunken intoxication or her inability to keep up with me. I took a cab with her, as she snored softly on my lap. I gave the driver the address I found in her license. Her name was Ashley Lieberman and she was 22. The house appeared empty when I had gotten there, so I took her keys and let myself in, carrying her over to the sofa where I left her sound asleep and thoroughly fucked. I was a little sick with myself, remembering how I savaged her through the night, even though she seemed to really enjoy it. It wasn't like me, though. I was smart enough to know that I acted out of frustration but stupid enough to let the darker side of me take full control. I acted like what I was… a vampire. Completely uninhibited and animalistic.

It was almost seven and the sun was shining outside, meaning I'd have to stay inside, torturing myself with the ever constant thoughts of her. The more and more my mind revolved around her memory, the more I began to resent her. There was a part of me that didn't want that, didn't want to see her as an enemy, but there was another part of me peeling away any compassion I had left for her. _She was his. _The thought snapped me out of it, anger boiling beneath my skin again. I couldn't get her out of my mind no matter how fucking hard I tried. Annoyed with myself, I stood up and walked to the bathroom, taking a long hot shower, trying to think of anything, anything at all other than Bella. It was impossible.

I came out of the shower, drying my hair with the towel as I stared at the phone. I stood there for a long time, contemplating on whether I should call her, cursing myself for even wanting to. I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, just staring at it. It was Gabriel's vision that set me back to where I was. The vision he let me see in his head once, where he was having sex with Bella, her hands clawing his back as he bit her. I ripped the phone off the wall and slammed it to the other side. Bella, fucking Bella! I needed to do something, anything that would distract me and keep me from thinking about her, and from further destroying the room, but I couldn't go outside for another ten hours. I paced the room back and forth and then took out a pair of jeans and t-shirt and dressed quickly, not bothering to comb my hair.

I opened the door, peering down the hall. Sunlight shot through a large window at the end of the hall, its warm light reaching my door. I looked around, making sure that no one was there and then crossed the hall to the door opposite mine. I knocked twice and waited. After a few moments, Sookie opened the door, dressed in a bathrobe and a toothbrush in her mouth. She froze looking at me, her eyes wide, dropping the toothbrush.

"Holy shit!" she said with foam in her mouth. I frowned not knowing what was so surprising, but I didn't have time to ask. I could hear the elevator's 'ding' as it reached the floor.

"Can I please come in?" I asked urgently.

After a brief pause, she nodded and stepped back allowing me in. I scooped up her toothbrush as I went in and closed the door behind me. I held it up, amused.

"Tinkerbell?" I asked, holding back a chuckle. She snatched it away from me, rolling her eyes.

"It was on sale. Besides, I have small teeth and all the other standard adult sized ones make me gag."

I couldn't help but smile at her. She stood there, staring at me for a moment longer and then went back into the bathroom to rinse. She came back rather quickly.

"I'm sorry for barging in on you so early in the morning but I can't go out when the sun's out and well…" I thought of what best to say, "…I was bored."

"Well, no shit you can't go out in sunlight!" she said incredulously. "Your skin is twinkling!"

I winced at the term she used to describe my skin. 'Twinkling' just didn't sound right.

"I can leave if you want" I said, gesturing to the door, praying that she didn't send me back.

"No, I don't mind," she said. "I was just about to order some breakfast. I don't mind the company at all."

I smiled in gratitude as she continued to stare at me tentatively. After a moment or two, she said, "can I… touch?"

"Touch what?" I asked, frowning curiously.

She swallowed hard. "Your face."

Then I got it. I understood why she reacted so oddly in seeing me _twinkle _as she so comically put it.

"Sure you can" I said, not moving out of the sunlight.

She slowly walked closer to me, a little nervous as she raised her fingers to my face, touching it lightly. Her hair was wet and the mix of her candy coated scent with the shampoo was amazing. It wasn't the kind of scent that made you want to sink your teeth into her, rather the kind that made you want to get high off it.

"Wow, I've never seen anything like this before," she marveled. "Your skin is iridescent under the sunlight. Bill's skin would burn if he ever came in contact with it."

"It's because he drinks human blood. The more human blood you drink, the likelier you are to burn in sunlight. Some think it's God's way of reminding us that we belong in hell."

"So, how is it that you twinkle instead of burn?" she asked curiously.

"Can you stop using that word?" I said, narrowing my eyes at her.

"What… twinkle? But that's what it looks like! You're shooting light all over the place."

I laughed, shaking my head.

"Ok, ok… you shine," she said pacifically. "How 'bout that?"

"Much better," I smiled.

"So, how come you don't burn like the others do?"

"Because I don't feed off human blood. I only drink animal blood. It's the reason my skin does not burn and my eyes are not black all the time."

"Bill's are blue" she said pointedly.

"And you have humans that are tall, others that are short, some black, some white… you're point?" I asked.

She frowned curiously. "You have a point," she said, turning around and picking up the phone. She placed her order and then went into the bathroom holding a pack of clothes. I looked around the room, which didn't look much different than mine, except for the dent on my wall. Her scent was everywhere. I took a deep breath, savoring it.

"So, is everyone else in your family the same?" she called out from the bathroom.

"Yes, they are," I called back.

"Wow, that sure is something."

I walked over to her nightstand where a book was turned over to its back side. I picked it up, examining the front cover. _Salem's Lot. _I chuckled quietly. A small photo stuck out from the top, between the pages, marking where she had left off. I opened the book to where it was and saw that it was a picture of her and, who I assumed to be, Bill. He had the signature pale skin and bruise-like circles under his eyes. And yup, they were blue indeed. It was a face I've never seen before.

"That's my Bill" she said from behind me.

I turned, placing the picture back in the book and back on the table where it was.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to pry."

"Oh, please! Not at all. I was going to show you that picture anyway in case it might help in finding him."

She began organizing her stuff. I took a seat by the window, making sure I was in the shadow. Sookie was a tiny little thing but very pretty to say the least. There was something about her that reminded me of sunshine. Perhaps it was the lightness of her golden colored hair. She was wearing a white sundress, looking virginal in some way.

"How long have you known Bill?" I asked, striking up conversation.

"About a year now. We met back in my hometown in Bon Temps at the bar where I work."

"You're a bartender?" I asked surprised.

"No, no. I'm a waitress. Believe me, the tips are better" she said with an exaggerate look on her face.

"He came in one day and that was the first time I had seen a vampire. I knew right away what he was."

"Really?" I asked, intrigued. "How so?"

"Oh, I just knew. The skin, the circles around his eyes, the stillness of his chest from not breathing."

She was incredibly perceptive if she noticed he wasn't breathing.

"I had always wanted to meet one, you know… just to be able to know what they were like" she said as she folded her clothes.

"You knew that there were vampires?" I asked, astonished. She rolled her eyes up.

"You know, I'm not too far from New Orleans. That's where the majority are at. Anne Rice knew what she was doing when she wrote her stories. I knew vampires were to New Orleans what pizza was to New York City. But I had never seen one in my little town, so when he walked through that door, I knew it immediately."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Just my best friend Tara, my brother Jason and Sam – my boss."

"Weren't you ever worried of the Volturi finding out?"

"Bill was but I wasn't. I mean, he hadn't broken any law. He never openly confessed what he was. I just figured correctly. Naturally, I had to tell my best friend and my brother and even then, I wasn't breaking any law. The Volturian laws were made for you guys, not us humans."

She was a brave little toaster.

"Of course, word has it that the Volturi has fallen. So I'm not really worried."

"What happened? I mean, how did he go missing?" I asked.

She stopped what she was doing and stared ahead at the wall before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"The last time I saw Bill, he told me he had to fly to Dallas to meet with someone named Philip. The meeting was supposed to be about opening a vampire hotel here in Dallas. Bill is or was an architect back in his days, so he was supposed to make him some prints. Well, he arrived in Dallas and checked into a hotel, but he never checked out and he was never seen again. I tried to find this Philip person he was supposed to meet but came up with nothing. He was last seen in a local bar talking to two men, but no matter who I questioned there, no one wanted to talk and I haven't got a clue as to why."

She stared blankly at me, or rather through me. The light in her eyes, dimmer as she recounted her story.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully, we'll find out where he is."

"I know we will," she said smiling now.

Room service came by with her breakfast and she sat across me, eating her pancakes and eggs.

"So, explain to me one thing," she said, swallowing a chunk of pancake. "How is it that Bella is part human and part vampire?"

The sudden mention of her name unnerved me but I didn't want to take it out on Sookie.

"I don't know how it happened."

"Does _she _know? I mean, who created her?"

I hesitated for a moment, wondering how much I should share with her. Figuring it really didn't matter, I said to her, "I made her."

She stopped chewing, staring at me wide-eyed.

"You? You're her maker? But, I thought that she…"

"It's a really long story Sookie, and I really don't want to get into it if you don't mind."

She furrowed her brow and continued chewing as she nodded her head. I could tell what her questions were without having to read her mind but she really didn't have to know. Even though I wanted nothing to do with Bella, I wouldn't expose her and Lucian to anyone.

When she was done eating, she sat back on her chair looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"It's just crazy to see the light hit your skin that way" she said looking at my right hand that lay directly in the path of the sun.

"I suppose it's better than burning" I said.

"Must be. Hell, I wish I could twinkle just for the hell of it," she smiled as she reached over and slid her fingers across my palm like a kid petting a dog in the pet store.  
"You said it again," I pointed out with a frown.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star" she began singing. I pulled my hand away and threw a napkin at her. She laughed and something about it made me feel like I'd be ok after all. Her smile was truly infectious making me feel warm just witnessing it, though I didn't see her in any other way but that of a good companion. She let me stay with her for the rest of the day. We spoke for hours about mindreading, books, music, movies, her town, her family, her Bill as she called him and all the while I took her in, allowing her to fill my mind with anything that would mask away my thoughts.

* * *

_**More to follow soon...**_


	6. Chapter 6 Claiming

CHAPTER 6

**CLAIMING**

_Bella's POV:_

I saw him again, standing in the center of a crowd, bare-chested and bleeding from what appeared to be several stab wounds scattered around his torso. He stood weak, yet defiantly as he stared at them all. They were snarling and growling at him, rocking back and forth with their teeth bared, as if waiting for a signal. I could sense the impending danger and broke into a run, screaming out his name, but the more I ran to him, the farther he was. It didn't stop me. I kept running as fast as my legs could take me, trying to convince myself that my tears were the reason why I could hardly see him anymore. I ran and I ran until I felt a thousand little needles pricking my lungs. I slowed to a jog, fearing I let him down and then to walk, fearing that I was too late.

I stopped, panting for air as I looked around me. He was gone. They were all gone. I stood alone facing the ocean, its water looking like rolling ink. The silence hung strangely. The crashing waves were muted, and the only sound I could hear was that of my frightened beating heart. Then I heard it… someone breathing softly behind me. With its breath came the scent of clean mint mixed with eucalyptus. I didn't want to move, afraid that if I did, he would vanish before my eyes. So, I stood there, taking in his scent, his presence, the sound of his breathing. He was closer to me now, gliding his fingers down my arm to my palm, sending a thousand little electrical currents through my skin.

"I've waited for you" he said in a soft velvety tone. I closed my eyes, letting the tears run down my face, relieved that it _was _him, that he was standing here with me. I held his hand in mine, holding on to it for dear life. I couldn't let him leave; I couldn't risk not seeing him again. I could feel his breath cooling my neck as he spoke against it.

"I'm taking you with me, Bella," he said softly. "I want you to see what I've seen, feel what I've felt, live what I've lived…"

I frowned, not quite understanding what he meant and slowly turned around to look at him. Instinctively, I pulled back but he was faster than I was, hooking his arms around me in an iron lock. His eyes were red; his irises looking like two fat drops of blood against the white of his eyes. His face was twisted into an evil sneer and his fangs were exposed. I squirmed beneath his hold but couldn't free myself. Though, it was him in the flesh, he was someone else as he stared at me with loathing eyes.

He leaned into me, his breath no longer smelling like mint but rather blood. He licked my lips and I turned my face away. With one hand, he pulled it back, painfully digging his fingernails in my face, as he forced his tongue in my mouth, kissing me brutally. I kept fighting against him but he was so much stronger than me. Realizing that I had been rendered immobile, I did the only thing I could to defend myself. I bit his tongue, severing it in my mouth. He pulled away slowly, laughing as blood trickled down his chin. I spit the vile organ to the floor and fought harder to free myself.

"Now, now, Bella," he mused, laughing softly, "two can play that game." With one swift move, he grabbed my shirt and tore it off, exposing half my chest and he cocked his head back, his teeth gleaming, his eyes blazing, and he quickly went for my chest.

I jumped up from the bed, panting and sweating. Once I was sure that I was within the walls of my own room, I slowly began to relax, trying to control my breathing. It was the same dream I'd been having for the past three weeks, only this time, it felt so real. I could've sworn I felt his cold fingers clawing at my face. I shuddered at the memory of it. I couldn't understand, didn't even want to try. Seeing him that way, with so much hate in his eyes… it just wasn't like him at all.

I ran a hand through my hair, pulling my knees up to my chest then hugging them. I couldn't stop thinking about him, wondering why he left without saying a word, hoping that he was alright, wishing that he'd come back already. It felt like a part of me was missing, like I couldn't function right. I reached for my cell phone that I kept right by my pillow but found no missed calls or voicemails. This wasn't like him. At all. Something happened while I was there, but I couldn't figure it out. The more I thought about the possible reason, the more worried I got. I tried to rewind to the moment I got out of the car, he smiled as I walked over to him, so it couldn't have been there. He came to me in the kitchen, genuinely concerned when he saw that I was bleeding, so that couldn't have been it either. I remembered his reaction when he saw me heal. It had puzzled me. _That was it. _My cut. The healing. He flipped a switch the minute he saw me heal. That had to be it. But why on earth would he be so bothered by it? I mean, he hated to see me hurt in anyway, so why would he be upset to find that I was able to he…

* * *

_Edward's POV:_

"Are you ready?"

"Let's go," I said, holding the door open for her as she walked out into the hall, and enjoying a cheap thrill of her sweet scent. After spending the entire afternoon with her, I was feeling pretty good, my spirits lifted considerably. She was like a boost of vitamin C. A little bundle of energy, dressed in her white sundress and baby pink cardigan.

Our first stop would be to the local bar her Bill was last seen.

"Now, I want you to walk in first and take a seat, maybe order a drink or something. I'll walk in after you in about two minutes, enough time for you to settle down. Just pay close attention to the people I speak to. They were there the night Bill went missing and I know they have to know something being that Bill must've stood out like a sore thumb in a place like that."

"Got it," I said, pressing the button to the elevator.

We stepped inside where a brunette leaned against the wall of the elevator, texting. I caught her glance as I walked inside. I stood between her and Sookie.

_Holy sweet Jesus, take a look at that! He's fucking hot as fuck! But I bet he's gay._

Sookie spurted out a laugh.

"I'm sorry," she said with her hands out apologetically. "I was just thinking of something funny I heard."  
I offered her a tight smile and looked straight ahead, all too glad when the elevator reached the lobby and the brunette walked out ahead of us.  
"You must hear that a lot, I'd bet" she said as we walked outside.  
"Probably as often as you do" I said.

We drove about 12 miles east of the hotel to a bar called Jubilee's. I got out of the car first and headed inside as Sookie looked for parking. The place was small and rather dingy. Two pool tables stood side by side at the back bar where a couple of men were shooting ball. There were only a few people sitting at tables eating quietly or drinking loudly. Behind the bar was a guy no older than 25 and a much older man who, based on the resemblance and appearance, must have been his father and the owner of the place. I took a seat near the bar, assuming that these were her men and I waited for her to make her entrance.

She came in only a minute after I did, her eyes scanning the place before she walked past the bar and straight to the back where the group of men swayed as they tried to aim for the ball. _A brave little toaster, indeed. _ I was a little far from her but still able to hear their thoughts and keep a watchful eye in case she needed my help. And of course, because she was a fearless little thing, she walked up to the biggest and burliest of the group. I tensed a little.

"Hello Mitch, remember me?" she asked, cheerfully. Mitch was the tallest of the bunch, looking like he's already had one too many beers. He looked up as she approached him, undressing her with his eyes.

"How could I forget?" he slurred. "Susie, right?"

"Sookie" she corrected.

"Right, right. So what brings you back here? Looking for a date?" he said, straightening himself as much as his oversized stomach would allow.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I'm looking for my date. You might remember him" she said producing the picture from her purse and holding it out to him.

I waited, watching him closely as he took the picture in his hand, frowning at it skeptically. After a few moments, he gave it back to her and shrugged. "Never seen him."

"Mitch, how can that be when everyone saw you both talking to each other that night and according to the bartender, you weren't drunk enough to have forgotten."

"Look, lady… I already told you. I don't know who he is, I've never seen him in my life, and I sure as hell never spoke to him that night. I don't give a fuck what anyone has to say. I… don't… know… him" he emphasized slowly as he pointed towards the picture. I focused on his thoughts but oddly enough, they were blank, which was really weird. Humans never stopped thinking, even in sleep. She turned and began to question another man, when I caught the thought of someone around me.

_"Fucking Sookie, stubborn as a god damn mule."_

It wasn't a thought of any of the men she was questioning. This thought was much closer to where I sat. I scanned around, trying to match it to a face, but whoever he was, he didn't speak again. I turned my attention back to her interrogation when I heard it again.

_"… making my job harder than it has to be."_

And then I saw him, as he stood from the corner table ahead, dropping a few bills on the table and walking right past me and out the door. I couldn't make much of his face as he passed me because of the low lighting and his height. I looked over to Sookie, who was still trying to get them to talk but something told me that we had our guy. I stood up, and followed him out the door. It was drizzling when I came out and only a few people walked the streets. I looked to both my right and my left, but didn't see him. I stood there for a moment, scanning the street when he spoke to me from behind.

"Who are you?" he said in a low voice.

I turned around to look at him as he stepped out from the canopy's shadow. He was a vampire, this much I could tell easily just by looking at him.

"A guy who just walked out of a bar" I said flatly as I waited to hear his thoughts.

He had a somber look about him as he gazed at me, free of thoughts.

"Do you make it a point to mind-fuck people or are you really that fucking reckless?" he threatened, in a very bored tone.

Just then, the door to the bar flew open and Sookie stood there, staring at me incredulously before her eyes moved to his, wide in shock one moment, then livid the next. She glared at the tall blonde vampire, and if looks could kill… even a vampire… he was in for it.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she shot at him.

I watched him closely. He had no reaction to her whatsoever. He simply stared at her uninterested.

"You know him?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, I do" she scowled. "Edward, meet Eric fucking Northman."

I stared at him, as he watched her intensely without taking his eyes away from her.

"Hello, Sookie" he murmured warmly. "Still playing detective?"

"Oh, fuck you, Eric."

"Fuck me?" he mused. "Anytime."

I threw myself at him, pinning him against the wall as he stared at me like he was bored out of his mind. Sookie immediately tried futilely to pull me off.

"Watch what you say to her. She is a lady and you _will _respect her" I glowered at him.

He rolled his eyes before looking at her.

"Where _ever _do you find these guys, Sookie?" he asked smoothly. I pushed him harder this time and his eyes moved back to mine with a hard undertone this time.

"My patience is wearing thin. I think it best you get your hands off of me, or I'll take them off of _you_" he said in a controlled tone.

"Edward, please. Let him go. I know him" said Sookie. "He means no harm."

"For now" he said, staring squarely at me.

There was something about him, an irritating arrogance in his tone that made me want to rip him apart right then and there, but I reluctantly let him go. He smiled at me smugly, almost sending me to fits again.

Sookie now stood in front of him, pointing a finger at him as she scolded him. "You didn't want to help me, remember? You said it was a waste of time. So, why the fuck are you even here?"

He continued to stare at me, and then moved his eyes lazily to hers. "Despite the great amount of annoyance you so very well bring to me…I like you" he said warmly. "I'm here because you're wasting your time and in doing so, you're wasting mine. I have many other things to attend to and yet I have to come here to make sure you don't get killed."

"You don't have to do shit for me, Eric. I asked for your help and you refused. Point blank. Now if you would leave me the fuck alone, I'd greatly appreciate it."

"You'd appreciate me more in other ways" he grinned.

She rolled her eyes and turned to face me. "Let's go."

She grabbed my hand but I didn't move, making her swing back a little. She looked at me dubiously. My eyes were still on Eric, who was watching her like she was a piece of meat.

"Why is it a waste of time?" I asked him curiously.

He continued to stare at her, and it was bugging me. Sookie's voice was urgent in my head.

_Don't let him know you can read minds!_

"She's not going to find him here. He is with his maker" he said, and Sookie let go of my arm, her hand falling limply to her side as she stared at him idly.

"What?" she asked, frowning. "You mean, you knew this? And now is when you decide to tell me?"

"I only just found out, which is the other reason I'm here. Bill…" he said thoughtfully as he tilted his head to the side, "has something of mine that is now at risk of being discovered by his maker. If she gets her hands on it… well, let's just say that I'm fucked. And not the way I'd like to be."

_In time, Eric… in time._

His thought troubled me. I didn't like the way in which he was looking at Sookie and how loosely he spoke to her.

"She?" mused Sookie.

"That's right. She, as in female" he said impatiently.

"But Bill's maker was a man. That's what he told me."

Eric rolled his eyes around before fixing them on her again. "Sookie, Sookie… is it truly surprising to you that he would lie? After all, he is a vampire. Lying is a second nature to us, isn't that right?" he said, cocking a brow at me.

I didn't respond. My eyes were on Sookie, whose face illustrated a palate of mixed of emotions. Shock, confusion, resentment and … _hurt_. Her head lowered as her eyes moved wildly in front of her as if searching for something to debunk his assertions. I could hear her heart fluttering as she began breathing quickly. Eric just stood there, impervious to her feelings.

"Sookie?" I asked, reaching out for her shoulder. She walked away before I could touch her, heading back to the car.

"She'll get over it" said Eric, in his bored and fucking unnerving tone.

I listened in on him.

_Lorena couldn't have come any sooner, even if it costs me the book. For her, it's worth it. _

I frowned but didn't look at him, remembering Sookie's warning.

"And you? What are you to her?" he asked as he continued to stare at her from across the street.

"That is really none of your concern. You'll know if she tells you. For now… keep guessing" I said, as I stuck my hands in my pockets and crossed the street, headed for the car.

She was crying, her head resting over the steering wheel. I pulled the door open. "Let me drive" I said, extending my hand to her. She hesitated for a moment, then lifted her head and wiped her tears with her sleeve and slowly got out of the car. She walked around to the passenger seat as I slid the driver seat back and got in. I took the route that would connect me to the expressway and take us back to the hotel.

"I don't want to go back to the hotel just yet" she said, trying to lift her voice a little. "If you don't mind of course."

I made a u-turn and headed south instead, driving with no destination. We drove for a while in silence, too preoccupied in my own thoughts to hear what was going on in her head, though, it wasn't hard to guess. That prick couldn't have wounded her more and I knew there was something behind it. It was no mistake of his to mention that Bill's maker was a woman. I couldn't get more out of his head only because I couldn't leave Sookie alone. Once she's calmed down, if that's even possible at this point, I will try to find out more about this Eric character. For now, my only concern was her. She was too sweet of a person to have her boyfriend run off with someone else. _Like someone I know._

"Hey," I said, staring at her now. She wiped her face once again but didn't look at me. I didn't really know what to say to her. What can you possibly tell someone who's just learned that the love of her life has left with someone else? So, I offered the best I could.

"Are you hungry?"

She still didn't answer. I wanted to reach out and hold her hand, console her in some way. From what little I had learned of her, Sookie was a genuinely good person with a big heart. It was criminal for anyone to hurt her or make her cry.

"Do all vampires feel so disconnected from human emotion?" she suddenly asked. "Are we just seen as past-times?

I grimaced at her assumptions. "No. Not all of us are the same."

"I mean, after an entire year together and after all we put into this… this… so called relationship – he just leaves?"

I looked at her for a moment, feeling miserable for her. "Sookie, I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but he may have left against his will."

"Yeah" she scoffed, and shook her head as she blew her nose into a tissue.

"It's true" I countered. "This woman," _Lorena, _"whoever she is – she is his maker. A maker has certain control over their vampires. If she calls for him – he must oblige. It's just the way it is. My maker is Carlisle, and although he's never forced me to remain by his side, I do. If I ever were to leave him, and he calls me back, I have to obey. It's just our natural law."

"That's all a crock of shit, if you ask me" she said. "If you love someone, no matter who made you, no matter what you are – you don't just abandon the person you love."

I stared ahead, quiet for a moment, thinking about what she said.

"I suppose it is a crock of shit," I said, "but there are just some things we can't control."

Ignoring my response, she added, "I mean, obviously she wants him back if that's the case. And if what you say is right, then if she wanted to reconcile anything they may have had in the past, he'd have no choice but to accept it, right?

I didn't want to answer this. I knew she wouldn't understand the truth. It was more than just a said agreement. It was a necessity, an incomprehensible attachment that we couldn't just refuse, even if what we needed is what we loathed the most. One couldn't live without his or her maker. My silence was her answer.

"Let me reword my sentence. You, being Bella's maker, if you would command her to go to you, to be with you – would she stand a chance"

Suddenly, her words were sour, leaving a bad taste in my mouth. The mention of Bella's name, poking at the sleeping beast within me. I exhaled a sharp breath through my nose and my hands tightened around the steering wheel.

"That's different" I muttered. "Bella is unique. She cannot be controlled."

She frowned, not comprehending what I meant, but not adding more to the discussion. She sat back into her seat and continued staring dejectedly out the window and I continued to drive to nowhere, my thoughts flooded with visions of her, random memories of Bella. I didn't tell Sookie that even though Alice participated in her turning, my venom dominated her blood, because of gender, making me her maker. I didn't tell her of the many times I contemplated on cruelly using my right to claim her, to command her to return to me but I knew it was an impossibility because of her guard. Her shield made her immune to any claim set upon her. Although Gabriel's blood ran through her veins, she was as much to him as she was to me. And I knew this; I knew that I was using his blood as an excuse when the truth was that Bella chose to be his even in death, while I sat waiting like an idiot for her in vain. The fuck with that. My letting her go was long overdue.

* * *

**_More to follow soon..._**


	7. Chapter 7 Unmasked

CHAPTER 7

**UNMASKED**

_Bella's POV:_

Morning came like any other, quiet, bright and void. Lucian was already up and about, shuffling his feet down the hall. It always worried me, leaving him up and awake all night as I slept, but sleep wasn't a necessity for him. There were times he would lay in bed and close his eyes, relaxing, though fully awake and alert. I often found myself wishing that he had been born like Gabriel and me - halfings. Instead, he was born 100% vampire. _My little vampire._

I rolled off the bed, making my way to the bathroom. After a quick shower, I threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, anxious to see Alice. I needed to know why she hadn't told me about Edward's brash and silent departure. I knew that it really shouldn't be a big deal, I mean, it's not like he wasn't free to do what he wanted to. But it was so out of character for him and the fact that Alice was with me when all this happened, and said nothing about it, only unsettled me even more. Something was just not right.

Of course, I could've saved time and gas by simply asking Lucian, since he has taken up on Alice's ability, but I never would. There was a silent rule constantly in place when it came to me and my son. Lucian is perhaps the only person I know who can read my thoughts, crystal clear. He's only read it once before and it was the time he had caught me staring idly out the window, zoned out in thought. I was thinking about Gabriel. About the short time I had known him, _in this lifetime, _and the last time I saw him before he gave up his life for us. Apparently, Lucian had been saying something to me all the while as I completely ignored him, not hearing anything but my own thoughts. Then, unexpectedly, he walked up to me and hugged me. He told me not to be sad because his father was still there with us, _that he sees him all the time. _I had frozen, chills rushing up my spine when he said this. Not only because it was the moment I realized that he could penetrate my thoughts, but because he said he'd seen him.

"What do you mean you 'see him'?" I had asked him, staring intensely at him, worried that he was hallucinating.

He flashed a radiant smile at me, looking exactly like his father did when he used to smile at me. "He visits me almost every night. We stay up and talk for hours until the sun comes up."

I furrowed my brow and he read my mind even before I could orchestrate my thoughts into forming the question.

"He really misses you, too and he can't stop thinking about you. He talks about you all the time. He says he wants to wake you but that he can't. So, we just sit in my room and talk about everything and anything."

The tears were pooling fast in my eyes. I tried to pull off a nonchalant tone when I asked him "What else do you two talk about?"

"Lots of stuff, but mostly it's about you. I talk to him about what we did during the day, what movies I watched, what I learned at Carlisle's, and about Edward."

"Edward?"

"Yeah. I told him that he's like my best friend and that he takes me everywhere and plays with me and buys me the coolest toys. He likes him, too. He's glad that we get along so well."

Even now, the memory of that conversation chills me to the bone. I remember staying up that night, waiting until it was very late before tip-toeing to Lucian's room, where I heard him talking quietly. I remember the way my heart started pounding hard against my chest as I approached the door and silently turned the knob, pushing the door just an inch, enough for me to see him, thankful that it didn't squeak. I saw him, sitting with his legs crossed Indian style in the center of his bed, staring straight ahead talking to someone who wasn't there. It worried me, but at the same time, I had the gut feeling that Gabriel was, indeed, in there with him, even though I could not see him. I didn't question him about it anymore, and he didn't read my mind anymore, as if we both reached a silent and mutual agreement.

He must've seen the change in Edward, and must've seen him leave without saying anything… and because his mind was so much more evolved than the average six year old; he must've understood what was going on because he didn't question it. However, I couldn't ask him. Alice is the person with whom I had a bone to pick.

We arrived at the Cullen's house early that morning. Lucian ran into the house, anxious to get back into Carlisle's lab to dissect who knows what. Emmett opened the door, scooping up Lucian and taking hold of his ankle, holding it up high as Lucian dangled and giggled in the air. Emmett would be a terrific father and it really saddened me that he and Rosalie couldn't have any children, though the thought of a little Emmett mixed with Rosalie's vainness made me cringe.

"Hey, Bells" he beamed as I made my way up the steps.

"Hey. Is Alice home?" I asked cutting straight to the chase.

"Yeah, she's upstairs."

I said my 'hellos' to the others and then began to make my way upstairs, to Alice's bedroom. I didn't knock when I got there, knowing she was there alone. She was sitting upright and rigid on her bed, still in pajamas. It always made me laugh to see her dressed up like she was actually going to sleep, except that now, I wasn't amused. I stared at her evenly as she stared back at me nervously.

"I didn't know, Bella. I swear" she started, with wide eyes, already knowing about my reason for coming to see her.

"Why'd he leave like that then?" I asked, fearing that my assumptions were spot on.

"I'm not sure why" she said apologetically. "I mean, I know that he was upset about something, but I can't read minds, Bella. I can only see how he reacts to things. I noticed the change in him when he was in the kitchen and I saw when he decided to leave without telling you when we were in my room. But I haven't got any idea as to why. Did you guys have a fight or something?"

I shook my head, frowning.

"I didn't tell you… well, because you know Edward. He would've lynched me if I had told you anything. I figured you'd call him or he'd call you but then Carlisle told me he left his phone. Honestly, Bella, I don't know what has gotten into him, but he's not himself."

"I think it had to do with my cut" I said, as she frowned back at me dubiously.

"Edward didn't know that I could heal. When he saw that my cut was healing by itself, that's when I noticed the change in him."

She stared at me not getting what I was saying, unable to understand the significance of my ability to heal. "What does that have to do with anything? So, you heal. He should be thrilled about it considering that you can't walk a yard without getting hurt."

I frowned at her remark then looked down to my arm, to where the fine pink line ran along my forearm. "I heal because of Gabriel… because his blood flows through my veins."

She didn't say anything, and when I looked up to meet her gaze, I saw that her mouth formed an 'o' as understanding finally sank in. Although, she already knew the 'how' I was able to heal, her reaction upon realizing the affects it had on Edward, told me that she now understood the 'why' he acted the way he did. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I let the tears flow freely down my face. Alice's face twisted into one of pity as she set her magazine aside and walked over to me with arms wide open.

"Oh, sweetie" she said, as she wrapped her arms around me and walked me to the bed. I sobbed pathetically into her shoulder and then buried my face in my hands as I sat on the bed. She put an arm around me and rubbed my arm with the other. "It's okay" she said musically, like a mother soothing a child. "It's okay."

"No, it's not 'ok', Alice!" I said heatedly, knowing she didn't deserve such a harsh tone but unable to control my frustration. "It's not ok and that's the problem."

"Bella," she said in a monotone voice, "if Edward can't get over it, then you shouldn't waste your time or tears on it. He's being foolish and acting like a total dick. You can't control the fact that you share Gabriel's blood. Because of his blood, you are _alive_ and Edward should be more than fucking grateful for it rather than get all pissed off about it."

"I know, Alice. I know. But I _could've _controlled it and I didn't. If I hadn't done all that, if I hadn't have slept with Gabriel, then I wouldn't have his blood mixed with mine."

"Right," she said sarcastically, "and you also would've been A. dead either way because the Volturi would've gotten to you or B. you wouldn't have had Lucian. Now, looking back on just B alone, wouldn't you say that it was worth it?"

I knew she was right. There was nothing I wouldn't do for Lucian, even if it meant going back and doing it all over again. I already tried to make things right by accepting to live out the rest of my eternity with Gabriel, all for Lucian, and even that failed. Sometimes I wonder if it was fate all along, if even though I had his son, I wasn't supposed to be with him. I often found myself thinking that fate was pushing me back to Edward but because of my guilt for betraying him, I was reluctant to go back, knowing that I didn't deserve him. I tried explaining this to him once and he didn't understand me. He didn't' understand that I simply couldn't live with myself knowing how I had hurt him. He didn't understand that I loved him so fucking much that I wanted him to be happy with someone he deserved, not a fuck-up like me. He didn't understand how fucking hard it was for me to have to watch him stand protectively over Lucian, who was a painted image of his father, as he took his first baby steps. I didn't deserve him… in anyway. That wasn't debatable.

I wiped my tears with my sleeves and stood up, pacing the room as she watched me carefully.

I had to talk to him and it couldn't wait until tomorrow. I walked over to her laptop, starting it up, seeing Alice through the reflection of the screen eyeing me skeptically. Once it was up, I pulled up a search on every hotel in the Dallas area and got back multiple pages of results. I narrowed the search to hotels near the airport and immediately got to work, pulling out my cell phone and punching in the numbers.

"Bella, I don't think that's a good idea" said Alice from behind me, but I ignored her. I must've gone through six different hotels until I finally got something, "Thank you for holding. Yes, we have an Edward Cullen on file but he is unavailable at this time. Would you like to leave a message?"

My heart palpitated the minute I heard 'yes' and I know Alice heard it too, because I could see from the reflection of the screen, her head jolted as she looked up at me.

"No, thank you" I said curtly and hung up.

"You can't be serious, Bella!" she exclaimed. She saw the minute I made up my mind. "You can't go! He's coming back tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Alice, but I can't wait that long" I said, snatching the sticky note from the desk and hurrying out the room. I had already wasted so much time holding on to stupid guilt. I wasn't going to wait a minute longer. I met Esme in the living room, watching HGTV. It didn't take long to convince her into taking care of Lucian for me while I was gone. I didn't really have to explain my reason for leaving. I figured she already knew where I was going and although she looked at me questioningly, she didn't try to deter my decision.

Alice, however, was one pleading short from hanging off my leg, begging me to stay. I didn't understand her strong objection to my decision but neither did I care. I was on my way to see him, to apologize for being so fucking stupid and allow myself to _be_ stupid enough to believe that I deserved him. It didn't matter anymore what I thought. Edward wanted me back, even after all the shit I put him through, and there I was, sitting and moping over the fact that I betrayed him, letting my chance slip me by. No way. There was no fucking way I would make him wait another day longer. If he wanted me, no matter what, then I was his. End of story.

I hopped into my car, adrenaline pumping my heart and sped away, driving faster than I had ever driven before. I found myself mentally thanking Emmett for convincing me to get an Audi. I dialed the airport as I drove and purchased my ticket. An hour later, I felt the wheels of the plane lift off the ground as gravity sucked me into my seat and the pressure blocked my ears. In just a few hours, my life would finally fall back in place, just where I had left it.

* * *

_Edward's POV:_

I didn't know her name or the entirety of how we got here, lying naked on the bed. I remember dropping off Sookie at the hotel last night. I remember heading back out to a different club, afraid of bumping into the redhead. I remember ordering three drinks, or four or five… I don't know. Next thing you know, I'm sitting in the back seat of a taxi, sliding my hand into a blonde's underwear, feeling her up in the most obscene way. I remember the driver looking back at us through the rearview mirror every time she moaned but I didn't really care to stop. I fingered her to an orgasm before arriving back to her place. We were both drunk that much I knew.

She fumbled with her keys as I pressed my hard on into her from behind, feeling the warmth of her round apple-bottom pressed against it. The minute I heard the lock click open, I pushed the door in and began unbuckling my pants with one hand while I kept her pressed against me with the other and kicked the door shut with my foot. I took a few steps forward until she was leaning over the armrest of the sofa. I lifted her skirt to her waist and with a finger, slid her thong to the side as I placed my hard on right in place and pushed all the way into her, producing an exotic moan from her. I was rough as I penetrated her, grabbing a fistful of hair and pulling her head back so she was arched against my body as I slid my free hand back into her underwear and rubbed on her clitoris as I continued to push myself into her. I could literally feel her tremble as she came all over me.

When I felt her going weak, I slid my hand back up her torso and wrapped my other arm around her stomach, holding her in place as I continued to thrust into her. I massaged her rather substantial breasts. _Silicones. _And I continued to glide my hand up her throat, pushing my fingers into her mouth, giving her a taste of herself. Her tongue swirled so fucking explicitly around my finger that I had to have her try it on me. I pulled out of her and flipped her around, pushing her gently to the sofa. As if on cue, she sat up and took my dick in her mouth eagerly, sucking on it hungrily. She licked, swirled, glided and then sucked some more and it felt fucking fantastic, as if the only center of my existence was right between my legs.

When I came, she didn't let me pull out. Instead, she drank it all which I found rather disgusting and I made a mental note not to kiss her. When she was done sucking me dry, she pulled back a little surprised as she looked up at me.

"Talk about stamina" she slurred and began to kiss her way up my torso. I pushed her back down on the sofa, spreading her legs apart and gave her round two. Round three and four were on the floor. Round five on the dining table, round six in the shower and round seven, perhaps the hardest round yet, in her bed. To say that I thoroughly fucked her in every possible way, in every possible place was an understatement. I broke her, is what I did and she loved every minute of it. I had to admit, she was quite the tiger but she did more for me than she probably thought she had. She kept my mind off of the one girl who tormented my thoughts.

I waited until the sex kitten went to sleep, and thought about our botched mission yesterday to find out more about Bill's disappearance. The look on Sookie's face when Eric told her that Bill had left with his maker, who was a woman, made me want to reach out and hug her. I knew that pain all too well. It was the pain of rejection and by god it was excruciating. I wondered if she was able to sleep through it, and envied the thought at the same time. At least she could close her eyes and give her mind a rest. I had no choice but to dwell on it since I was doomed to permanent insomnia. These sexual distractions were what kept me 'Bella-free' through the wee hours of the night.

It was already 12:30 in the afternoon when the tiger finally fell into a deep sleep. I wondered what the hell she was made of. Her energy was fucking outrageous. I quietly made my way around her apartment, collecting my clothes and putting them on. I had no clue where I was and how far I was from the hotel as I sat in the cab, staring out the window. When I arrived at the hotel, fifteen minutes later, I got out of the cab, looking all crumbled – my shirt only half way buttoned, my hair all over the place. I hooked my jacket behind my shoulder and made my way to the elevator. I planned on showering then checking up on Sookie and hopefully spending the rest of the afternoon there with her, comforting her as she unknowingly comforted me. What I didn't plan was finding Bella, knocking on my door.

I froze. At that moment, I began wondering if my drinks were spiked the night before, if maybe I was hallucinating. I mean, what the hell would Bella be doing here, in Dallas? She never left the safe confines of Forks. I blinked, trying to blink away the vision when it hit me. Her scent. Her fucking tantalizing scent authenticating her presence. She was about fifteen feet away from me, as I stood in the dark end of the hall. She didn't have to squint to know it was me. I could tell by the look she gave me that she recognized me. I could see her eyes light up a bit.

"Edward?" she said, melodically. My name never sounded sweeter. I stared back at her, unable to speak. She cleared her throat, as she struggled with her hidden thoughts.

"I'm sorry to drop in like this" she said nervously, "I came here… because I wanted to talk. You left and didn't say anything."

I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't speak. All I could do was stare at her blankly, as she fidgeted with the sleeve of her jacket. After a long moment of silence, she squared her shoulders and began to walk towards me. At the same moment Sookie opened her door, stepping out slowly looking at us. Bella stopped halfway down the hall. She was only about six feet away from me then and her scent was breaking me down. She didn't seem to realize that Sookie was watching her. I continued gazing at her depthless brown eyes when a small crease appeared between her brows and her lips parted. Not knowing what was wrong with her, I tapped into Sookie's mind, hoping she was reading hers. I was surprised at the clarity of Bella's thoughts. I was even more stunned at what she was thinking.

_A human? He reeks of human and cheap perfume. _

She stared at me, knowing, and I stared at her, completely shocked at the fact that I was, for once, in her head. Sort of. I couldn't quite understand what she was doing here. Surely, she must've known that I'd return to Forks tomorrow morning. Why would she take a six hour flight all the way from Washington to Dallas? What could she possibly want that was so urgent that she couldn't wait until then. I decided it didn't fucking matter.

"You shouldn't have come here" I said quietly. She stared at me, her eyes giving away all her emotion.

"Why not?" she asked, holding her chin up slightly and furrowing her brows.

I just hung my head back staring at her, taking in all of her. We continued to stare at each other in silence for several moments, before she began making her way slowly towards me. She stopped only inches away from me, and I fought the urge to smooth away the crease between her brows. Her eyes moved quickly between mine, as if searching for an answer in them.

"Edward," she whispered softly, "we need to talk."

Her scent was overwhelming. I had to fight with every fiber of my body to keep myself from wrapping my arms around her.

"There really isn't anything to talk about, Bella." I said coolly.

"No , there is" she interrupted quickly. "Edward…" She dropped her head, her eyes darting across the floor, struggling with a thought.

_How do I say this? _

"I'm…I…" she stammered. She raised her head, squaring her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I came here to tell you that I'm sorry. For everything. For everything I put you through, for all the hurt I've caused you. Everything" she said, her voice breaking at the end. "I want you back, Edward" she finally blurted out. "And I'm hoping you still want me too."

I can't begin to describe the feeling I felt when I heard her speak those words to me and I thought they would've been enough to bring me back to my element, in fact, I even willed myself to accept them, but I couldn't. I began to speak, moving my mouth to form words that rolled off my tongue unthought-of, unrehearsed, unfeeling.

"Well you've wasted your time then" I heard myself say indifferently. "I've had some time to think it over and… I can't see any reason left for me to want to be with you, Bella." I watched as her face creased and rejection washed over it. "Who's to say you wouldn't grow bored with me and move on to someone else? You did it to Jacob by moving on with me, and then you did it to me, when you left with Gabriel."

The hurt was evident in her face, even more so than when I had first left her in the forest a year ago, except that now, I wasn't leaving her for her own good. I was leaving her for mine.

"I'm sure you'll be able to move on just fine. You always do."

Her eyes began to glisten and she shook her head, setting her jaw and spun around, taking the emergency exit stairway. I was paralyzed, still staring at the closing door, taking in a final gust of her scent. I could see Sookie walking over to me quickly.

"What the fuck has gotten into you?" she asked incredulously.

I continued starting at the door idly. _Bella came to tell me she wanted me back and I let her go. _

I could feel Sookie shaking my arm. "Edward!" I blinked and looked down at her then.

"What the fuck is going on? Why the hell did you say that to her?" she asked.

Involuntarily, my body moved an inch towards the door, wanting to run after her with my scarred heart at hand. Apologize and tell her that I loved her and that I was just fucking scared of taking her back, scared that she would leave me again. But I couldn't. I froze, feeling all the rage, all the hurt, all the angst I felt as I waited for her to come back, rush through my veins like a river just then, washing out any hope, any fucking idea of running back to her. I felt all the anger swell around my long dead heart, feeling it become alive with a new emotion, something that scared the fuck out of me. I knew the feeling well and it always sickened me whenever it reared its ugly head. It was hate. I could feel it swimming through me, making its way up to my head, saturating my thoughts with it, tensing my muscles and setting my jaw. I looked down at Sookie again.

"Fuck her" I said between painfully clenched teeth and I tore loose from her little hand and continued straight to my room, slamming the door shut behind me. I stood there for a moment, letting the rage fuel me, charge me up. Then I lifted the console table, letting it fall loudly against the floor, all its contents falling and bouncing all the over the tiles. I picked up the phone that already lay on the floor broken and slammed it across the wall, making another dent. I knocked down all the toiletry and fixtures on the bathroom counters and punched the mirror, shattering it into a thousand pieces. I stopped when I saw the blood dripping from my hand.

I staggered back, slamming myself to the wall, and then fell on my knees, gripping my hair in my hands, not giving a fuck about the blood dribbling down my arm. How easy she could make a dead man cry. How easy she could bring him down to his knees. How easy she could ignite such malevolence as easily as she could summon his soul. I grunted loudly, letting the tears flow freely, loathing myself for not running back to her, feeling my soul tear apart. No matter how much I tried to keep her away from my head, I realized that it was all in vain. Not only did she dominate my mind, my heart… but now, she also possessed my soul, that missing part of it, gone with her departure.

* * *

**_I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I thought I'd add a splash of lemon in there. I'd love to know what you think so far. Reviews are much appreciated!_**

**_A big thanks to my beta, P! You're the best!_**

**_More to follow soon..._**


	8. Chapter 8 Query

CHAPTER 8

**QUERY**

_Bella's POV:_

I dashed down the stairs in a blur with tears streaming down my face. I needed to get out of here, out of this town, out of this world if at all possible. His words echoed in my head over and over again, making it even harder for me to concentrate on where I was going once I reached the first floor. I hurried along the hallway, making my way across the lobby. I felt like everything around me was spinning so fast, like everyone was watching me, whispering behind my back. I picked up my pace with my head down and eyes fixed on the floor and ran straight into someone as I tried to hurry out the building, the impact throwing me back a bit.

My eyes shot up at once, to a very tall man. He stared at me blankly and then tilted his head to the side, looking at me dubiously with narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry" I muttered and walked around him, waving my hand towards an approaching cab. Once I was inside the car, I let myself go, crying silently as we made our way back to the airport and crying all the way back to Washington. His was still vivid in my head, all unkempt as he stood there, bathed in human scent, gazing at me with intense, cold eyes. It was a face I've never seen before, an Edward I'd never seen before. Polar opposite. He stood there, apathetically breaking me down. He even went as far as throwing Jacob and Gabriel at me, insinuating promiscuity on my part. He might as well have taken a jagged dagger and plunged it in my heart, twisting it slowly.

I was all cried out by the time I made it to the Cullen's driveway. I found Alice, sitting anxiously on the front step. She dashed over to me as I got out of the car and didn't say anything, just hugged me for a long moment. I didn't return the hug, too tired and numb to move. She pulled away, staring at me worriedly.

"I'm so sorry, Bella" she said on the verge of tears. "I tried to stop you but you wouldn't…"

"It's ok" I said dismally.

She pursed her lips and shook her head disapprovingly. "He's being such a fucking idiot…"

"I want to see Lucian" I cut through quickly. She pursed her lips once more before wrapping her arm around my shoulder and leading me to the house. They were all waiting for me by the entrance, four sympathetic faces staring back at me as if mourning for my loss. I felt naked for some reason, stripped away from dignity as I walked through the door.

"Bella" murmured Carlisle with a pained expression. "I'm sorry for…"

"Where is my son?" I interrupted, a little too harshly, clearly startling him with my tone. I didn't mean to come off that way, and I didn't mean to emphasize the fact that he was _my _son, but I couldn't tolerate being pitied.

"He's upstairs with Rosalie" he said dubiously. "Bella, I just want you to know that we do not condone Edward's less than…"

Heat flashed through my face at the mention of his name.

"I think it's time for me to collect my son" I said flatly. Jasper frowned and quirked a brow at me. I didn't think much of his odd expression, but then I felt it. A tingling, a quiet zephyr of calm settling over me, stunning me at the ease with which it twined around me. I gasped quietly, realizing why I felt so naked walking through the door moments before. My guard was down, leaving all of my emotions exposed. I stared back at him wide-eyed feeling rather violated at his intrusion.

"Bella, please" he pleaded earnestly, "just hear us out."

I was too tense to speak, too uncomfortable even under his sedating spell. I felt like a firefly caught in glass jar, unable to move and yet exposed for all to see. My breathing hitched as I rocked back on forth on my feet, my hands balled up to fists by my sides. And then… without any warning or even effort from my part, it was gone. The calm had severed and anger surged through my body rampantly. I couldn't recall doing anything in particular to block him off. In fact, I still felt stripped down to the bone.

His eyes were wide as they darted to the top of the stairs. I followed his gaze and found Lucian standing there, staring back at him coldly. _He was shielding me. My little vampire. _His eyes moved to mine and with a blank expression.

"I'm ready to go home now" he said and began making his way down the stairs. I tried with all my strength to hold back my tears, not wanting him to see me weak and in pain. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he waved his tiny hand over his shoulder.

"See you later, Carlisle. Thanks for the lesson" he said nonchalantly. "Good night, everyone."

He walked over to me, putting his little hand in mine as he looked up at me and smiled. "I'm glad you're back, mom. Let's go home."

The rest of the day went by fast. We drove back home and Lucian insisted that we'd sit by the pier facing the lake while he told me about the things he learned while I was gone and how Esme almost succeeded in making him fall asleep by boring him to death with the basics of interior decorating. Though, my thoughts were scattered all over the place, I somehow felt better, more relaxed than I had been earlier and I wondered if his wanting to sit by the lake was his way of trying to console me. If it was, it worked. Surprisingly enough, given the eventful day, by eight o'clock, I was beginning to feel tired. We headed back inside and I worried that once we were surrounded by the deafening silence of the house, he would be forced to read my thoughts, if he hadn't already. But he didn't. Instead, he sprinted up the steps, anxious to catch a documentary on Discovery Science.

I made my way to the kitchen and poured a glass of water before heading up to my room. As I turned away from the refrigerator, I caught a quick flash from just outside the window. It was gone before I could really determine whether I had seen it or not. I stood motionless for a moment, scanning through the darkness outside before deciding that it must have been the reflection of the stainless steel refrigerator door as it was closing. Nonetheless, I headed back to the front door, opening it and stepping just a foot outside, glancing left and right and all around for any sign of movement. The night was still and quiet, undisturbed by any presence other than nature's own. I sighed heavily and turned back inside, still feeling like I was being watched but dismissing the absurdity of the thought. I suppose it was because of my missing shield. I felt so exposed, so out in the open. I had no idea how it happened or when it did but deep down I knew it had to be temporary reaction to Edward's painful infliction.

I continued making my way up the stairs and to my room, my eyes feeling heavy. I could still smell him as I walked to my room, making my eyes start to well up, feeling the pain all over again. I put down the glass of water and hurried to the windows, opening them all, letting the cold air fill the room and cast away any trace of him. I opened the balcony doors wide and stood there momentarily, pulling in the cold and the scent of pine and wood. It was cold out, enough to almost keep me awake. I turned back and stared at my bed, knowing that his scent lingered on the sheets and pillows from the times he laid there next to me, keeping me company through the evening. I slowly walked over to it, contemplating on whether I should just leave the room all together and sleep in the guest room. I stopped inches from the bed, already picking up his clean minty scent as a tear broke the pool in my eyes and streamed down my face. _'I can't see any reason left for me to want to be with you, Bella.' _ To think I had him here all along and I just let him slip away because of my stupid grudge against myself.

I reached for the comforter and yanked it off the bed, then quickly pulled off the sheets and grabbed the pillows. I carried the load and dumped it in the closet, slamming the door shut. I knew the nightmares would come, I knew it would probably keep me awake through most of the night and I knew that his memory, his words would haunt me all the way through sunrise. Although, Lucian was always awake, I didn't want to be around him in my current state of turmoil, so I walked over to the medicine cabinet and took out two sleeping pills, swallowing them with one gulp of water. Then I climbed into the bed - no blanket, no sheets or pillows, and I curled myself up in a ball, hugging my legs against my chest and waited for sleep to come.

And the nightmares came, more vivid and sinister than the night before. I knew it was a dream and I fought against it, willing myself to wake up, but every time I tried, the Edward in the dream only became more vicious, biting at me, digging his nails into me, tearing my skin as he ripped my clothes apart. His eyes were black, and not just the irises, but the entire eyes themselves. Two empty sockets. He groped me painfully, as he licked me along my cheek, promising to kill me. He picked me up as if I were a twig and slammed me into a tree, my head cracking loudly… and that's when I woke up, unable to move, panting and gasping for air. The room was so cold now, his scent completely washed out. But I couldn't move, either because I was too scared or simply too cold. I pressed my forehead against my knees and began to cry. I don't know how long I cried, or how my half dead body could even produce any more tears. I had cried more that day than any day in my life, even more so than when I learned of my father's death. The pain was inconsolable and unrelenting.

Then something happened, halting my tears. It was warm. A warmth that was slowly edging closer behind me. I couldn't hear anything or feel any movement other than a warm energy getting closer and closer to me. I didn't move, whether because I was cold or scared, I don't know nor did I care. I was rendered immobile, feeling the warmth engulfing me. I suppose it should've frightened me in some way, but it didn't, and I didn't want to look back either. I didn't want it to go away. And then I heard it. A quiet breath behind the crook of my neck, authenticating it's presence with a musky scent. My eyes flew open and I gasped, bolting off the bed. It was gone the minute I moved. My heart was fluttering as I searched the room with wide eyes, feeling a tremble work its way through my body. _Gabriel._

The room stood still and quiet. I was alone, though I didn't feel like I was. I stood very still, trying to will my heart to slow its beat. I looked closely at every dark corner, every shadow but found nothing. The warmth was gone, and the chill that settled in me, raising goose bumps on my skin had nothing to do with the temperature in the room.

"Gabriel?" I called out quietly. I waited for a response, but heard nothing. The silence in the room was deafening as I began to walk around it, trying to feel the warmth again, hopefully finding its source. I never did.

* * *

_Eric's POV:_

I was on my way to see Sookie, when I saw her, or rather, when she crashed into me. I almost glared at her at once, but was taken aback by her extraordinary scent. In all of my thousand years, I had never come across a scent such as hers. It was bizarre and alien to me. And when she looked up, I found myself staring into her deep dark brown eyes, with tinges of red in her irises and it puzzled me even further. Never before had I witnessed a human with such strange eyes. She had been crying; that much I could see. She was an oddity to say the least, but was gone before I had the chance to say anything. Shame, really. She was quite a sight to behold.

I made my way to the elevator and punched Sookie's floor. She left on a sour note last night when I told her about Bill's leaving with Lorena. I suppose I could have worded it differently, by saying 'Lorena's taking of Bill' or 'Bill's kidnapping', but I wouldn't have it any other way. Sookie intrigued me in ways that no other human had before, except for now, of course, when the small brunette with the reddish brown eyes ran into me in the lobby. Honestly, I couldn't see what she saw in Bill in the first place. He was so ordinary, so meek. I found it nauseating to watch the two ogle at each other.

The elevator reached her floor and as I stepped out, I caught the strange scent again. It was the brunette's. This must've been the floor she was on. Fuck. I should have followed her. To sink my teeth into that would've really made my day. Her scent was arousing. Talking of which… I continued down to room 402 and knocked on the door twice. I could hear her footsteps clearly even as she walked on the rug towards the door. I smiled at her crookedly when she opened the door, wearing the prettiest little dress in all of Dallas.

"Miss me?" I coyed.

She rolled her eyes at me and pursed her lips, resting an arm on the door and the other on her hip.

"Isn't this the part where you smile grandly and invite me in for some tea… or wine?" I said, still grinning.

"What the hell do you want, Eric?" she asked annoyed.

I let my eyes skim down across her body and back up to her eyes and smiled. "There are so many ways in which to answer that question" I mused. "But I suppose the main reason I came here is to apologize for my frankness last night and to ask you to accompany me back to Bon Temps, being that there is nothing left for you to do here."

"Have you gone lost your mind? Now, why on earth would I want to go anywhere with you?" she asked incredulously.

I smiled back at her, genuinely this time. Where women would flock at my feet, this one, only 5'2, stares down at me.

"I take it that you're you going to go along your signature trademark of being difficult" I said smoothly.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked, getting straight the point. "Why did you let me come all the way out here for nothing?"

"You wouldn't listen to me, remember? In fact, you told me to go fuck myself and stormed off."

"You could've stopped me you idiot!"

I raised a brow at her. "Are you granting me permission to touch you whenever you object to anything I say."

"Oh, go fuck yourself" she said walking away, leaving the door open. I invited myself in, closing the door behind me, still grinning at her.

"Fucking myself proves too difficult a task. Unless you care to demonstrate how it's done. "

She turned around and glared at me and I have to admit, it turned me on.

"Eric, for christ's sake, what do you want? Why did you come here?"

I wanted to tell her that I had hoped to have her, straddled over my lap naked, but bit back my tongue and focused on what I came here for.

"I have a business proposition for you" I said seriously now.

She turned to look at me, skeptically as I stared back at her, willing the strap of her dress to slide off her shoulder.

"And why would I want to help you after you refused to help me?"

"Because by helping me, you may be able to find your boyfriend."

It caught her attention. She no longer looked like she wanted my head on a platter.

"How?" she asked.

"My maker has gone missing and I suspect a church may have something to do with his disappearance. There is no possibility of me or anyone else of our kind to step foot in that church and live to tell. So I came here in hopes that you would help me in obtaining information from them by posing as a follower."

She stared at me through narrow eyes, thinking. "And how does this benefit me?" she asked quizzically.

"I have reason to believe that Bill's maker is after the same thing."

She was so easy to read. I could already see the question before she asked, so I continued.

"There are many vampires that have gone into hiding, trying to evade the Volturi for crimes they have committed. Because Bill has designed so many of their homes, he has the names and addresses of many of them and I believe this is what Lorena wants. I believe she wants to find my maker and she's hoping Bill will lead her to him."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute" she said shaking her head furiously and raising her hands.

"First of all, why does she want to find your maker and secondly, why would a church be involved?"

I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to tell her everything. My maker was my best kept secret, as it should be between a vampire and his creator.

"My maker is a very powerful man and with the Volturi no longer in power, I fear that his life is in danger. This church has a long history of rivalry against our kind and has somehow learned of his existence. None of us are safe if he is caught."

"And you think Bill knows where he is" she said more as a statement.

"Perhaps. And if he does, he has no idea who he is."

She frowned curiously, taking all the information in. It was a win – win situation and I knew I already had it in the bag when she finally looked up at me and agreed. She told me she needed to speak to her pretty boy vampire next door before leaving. I waited as she packed her bags, watching her every curve desirably. I never promised her that we would find Bill and I was glad she didn't ask, though, I would've lied if she did. Bill was a dead man, this much I already knew. Lorena would kill him before ever letting him escape. I figured that time would break the truth to her more easily than having to hear it from me now. I also figured that perhaps within that time, I'd grow on her. I can already see the tiny microscopic twitches her lips made whenever I looked at her. _Soon enough. _

"So where did you meet this Edgar?" I asked out of pure boredom.

"His name is Edward and that's none of your business" she said as she stuffed her clothes in her suitcase. I was looking at her legs, imagining them wrapped around me.

"He's obviously not from around these parts, I gather."

"Nope" she chimed.

"Has he already tried to make a pass at you?" I grinned, knowing that he'd be insane if he didn't even attempt it.

"Oh, Eric… really" she said sourly.

"Has he succeeded?" I mused.

She straightened up, puffing her hair with her breath and stared at me annoyed.

"Edward's not like that. He's a good friend. There's nothing going on and even if he did make a pass at me, I'm off the market."

I grinned at her from under my brow. _Not for long._

"And he's somewhat off the market too" she said, turning back to her suitcase.

I continued the discussion staring fixedly at her ass. Another five minutes of this and I was sure to bust in my pants.

"Somewhat?" I asked, merely curious.

"Yeah, I think so. He has some issues with his ex and they just had a fight not too long before you got here. I have no idea what the hell is going on between the two but the tension between them literally made the hairs on my arm stick up."

I frowned, now particularly curious. "She was here? Right before I came?" I asked.

"Uh-huh. You may have even passed her as you came in" she said as she hopped on one leg, trying to put a shoe on.

"What did she look like?" I asked, intrigued.

"Oh, come on. She must've stuck out like a sore thumb. Pale, long dark hair, out-of-this-world gorgeous, the same as all you vampires look."

I was sitting at the edge of the seat now. "I saw a girl that looks like what you just mentioned, but she was human, not a vampire" I frowned, puzzled.

"Yep. That's her. And we're both right."

"What?" I asked completely confused.

She rolled her eyes at me as she put on an earring. "She's both. She's part vampire and part human."

I looked up. Frozen as I stared at her. I couldn't believe what she was telling me. Was she fucking with me?

"Come again" I said, wondering if she even knew what she was saying, if she had any idea of the significance of her claim.

"You heard me. Part vamp and part human. I thought you would've known just by looking at her" she said as she turned and walked out to see Edgar next door.

The red and brown irises, the pale skin, the scent, the heartbeat. _A halfling. _Of course. How could I have not seen it? The revelation stunned me, paralyzed me. I had no idea what a meant or where she came from. Would this change everything? I remembered her eyes staring up at me, red from all the crying. Two brown orbs with red streaks. For the first time in a thousand years… I felt fear rising in me.

* * *

**_Sorry for the cliffie, but I had to end the chapter there. I promise to have another update this week. And I have to say, I am suprised at how many people have emailed me wanting to know about whether or not Gabriel is coming back. I love him too! lol. I promise you'll know soon enough. I hope you continue to read and enjoy the story. Reviews keep me motivated, so please keep them coming!_**

**_And a special note for 'yournamehere' ... thank you!_**

**_Big thanks to my beta would makes me sound so much smarter! lol. Thanks P! ;)_**

**_More to follow soon..._**


	9. Chapter 9 Puzzled

CHAPTER 9

**PUZZLED**

_Edward's POV:_

I was already out of the shower by the time I heard the knock on the door. I dried myself quickly and pulled on a pair of jeans as I went to answer it. I looked through the peephole and found Sookie's blonde little head and grimaced. _This fucking room is a mess. _There was a dent in the wall, a broken bathroom mirror, stuff thrown all over the floor. I sighed heavily and opened the door, blocking her view. Her first glance was at my bare chest before she quickly moved her eyes up to mine.

"Hey" I smiled. She looked a little edgy and I wanted to turn back and grab a shirt but she'd see the room if I moved away. So I leaned closer behind the door.

She cleared her throat and produced her signature smile, all wide and sunny. Julia Roberts had nothing over this one here.

"Hi. Is it a bad time?" she asked awkwardly.

"No. Not at all. What's up?"

"Can I come in?"

_Fuck. _My eyes danced around her nervously. "This room is a mess" I winced.

"Oh, please!" she said sarcastically. "It's a hotel room" she said, as she placed her little hands on my chest and pushed her way in. She took only three steps in when she came to a halt. I grimaced, embarrassed at what she saw.

"Holy shit! You weren't kidding" she said, as she walked over to the wall with the dent and glided her fingers across it.

"I… um, fell" I said, already regretting my lame excuse, "… and hit the wall."

She turned around, holding back a smile and spotted something on the floor behind a chair. She bent down and picked it up. It was a black lace thong. She pinched it between her fingers, raising it high for me to see as she eyed me skeptically. I grimaced. She smirked.

Thankfully, she tossed it on the chair and didn't question it. Her eyes continued to scan the room and I began feeling rather irritated.

"What's up?" I asked again, trying to get her back on track.

She glanced at my chest again and then quickly moved her eyes back to mine. I casually walked over to the bed and put on a shirt, hoping to ease her awkwardness.

"I wanted to let you know that I'm leaving, back to my hometown, Bon Temps" she said.

I frowned. "So soon? I thought we wouldn't leave until tomorrow. Didn't you want to check out a couple of other places?"

"I know, but it won't be necessary after all. Eric's already told me who took Bill and he's willing to help me."

I remembered the tall vampire from last night. I remembered his thoughts too. He was pining for her. The way in which he stared at her confirmed my belief.

"And you trust him?" I asked incredulously.

She stared back at me. _She didn't._

"Sookie, I don't know… there's just something about this guy that rubs me wrong."

"He has to help me or I won't help him."

"Help him?" I frowned.

She just looked at me without saying a word.

"Help him with what?"

She stared at me for a few moments before narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips.

"You really don't read my mind, do you?"

She shifted the conversation either intentionally or by pure curiosity.

"I refuse to. Those are your thoughts. I'm sure you can understand."

She continued to stare at me with narrowed eyes and smiled. "Well, my, my, you are something" she said, smiling wide and shaking her head as she walked over to the console table, lifting it off the ground and setting it back against the wall.

"Leave that alone, you don't need to do anything. Room service will take care of it." I said.

"The only thing room service is going to do is bitch and complain about what a slob you are and then make you pay an arm and a leg for it."

"They can call me what they want and charge me what they deem fit. I'll accept them both" I said as I scooped up some of the items off the floor.

"So, you didn't answer my question" I said.

Again, she ignored me and instead, asked me a question of her own.

"So… what happened with you and Bella?" she asked casually.

Her name is like a bee's sting and I wasn't expecting to hear it, much less to be asked about her.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked heatedly.

She turned around, a little startled by my tone.

"I'm just asking is all. I mean, you spoke so nicely of her back in Washington and then you turned the poor girl away in tears. Does it have anything to do with…" and she quirked a brow towards the black lace thong.

I glared back at her, making a point with my face. "That is something I wish not to discuss with you."

She frowned back at me, staring at me quietly for a long while before turning back to angle a lampshade.

"He wants me to get some information for him from a church."

"A church?"

Then there was a knock on the door and we both turned our heads towards it simultaneously. I walked over and looked through the peephole and saw a man's chest.

"Your friend is here" I frowned as I opened the door and walked back to the room without looking at him. I really didn't like this guy.

"Are you ready?" he asked in his blasé tone.

"Almost. I'll meet you downstairs" she said.

"I think I'll wait here" he mused. That did it. I turned around, shooting daggers at him..

"You heard her. Now get the fuck out of my room" I glared.

He smiled crookedly but didn't move.

"I will, just as soon as Sookie is ready."

I took a step forward before Sookie jumped in the way.

"STOP IT! " she yelled.

_I can't let her tell him anything. I need to get to the bottom of this and find out who she is and how he knows her._

I cocked my head to the side, staring at him questioningly. Sookie picked up on my reaction right away.

_Edward don't! Please don't let him know you can read minds._

"Is there a problem?" he asked calmly.

"No, no there is not" she interrupted. "I'm ready to go" she said as she turned and made ready to leave. I grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back. At the same moment, he was behind me with my head in a deadlock and my neck exposed.

"ERIC!" cried Sookie.

"You do it and I swear it'll be the last taste of blood you'll ever get" I glared.

He chuckled softly against my neck. "I like you. I really do" he mused.

"LET HIM GO! NOW!" yelled Sookie.

"Not until he lets you go" he said smoothly.

I fucking hated that I had to make the first move, but with Sookie prying at my grip, I didn't really have a choice. I let her go and he slowly loosened his hold on me until his arm was completely off of me. I turned around and glared at him.

"You put your hands on me again, I swear it'll be your last" I seethed.

He smiled at me. He fucking smiled at me!. I almost jumped him then.

"You really have no idea who I am, do you?" he asked.

"And neither do I give a fuck" I spat back.

"Edward! Stop it!" snapped Sookie as the blonde fagot flashed a smile at me.

"Let's go. I'm ready to leave now" she said.

"I'm going with you" I said without moving my eyes off him.

She paused and I could see her frowning at me skeptically from my peripheral vision.

"Pardon my asking," he said, "but who are you to Sookie?"

"That's none of your fucking business."

A small smile played on his lips. "It will be" he murmured.

"Eric, would you please wait for me outside?" Sookie asked heatedly.

He stared at me blankly but intensely for a long moment before turning his eyes lazily back to her.

"I'll be just outside the door" he said softly.

I watched him as he walked out the door and left it open an inch. He didn't want me to know why he needed her help and I couldn't question her about it with him looming just a couple of feet away. I wished she could read my mind.

"Edward, you don't have to come with me. I'll be just fine. I really think you should go back home and try to talk things out with Bella."

"Bella will be fine" I said, mentally wincing at the mention of her name again.

"Edward, she needs you. Really. I'll be fine."

_Bella._

I turned my eyes to the door where her name came from, frowning as to why he would even note her name. I felt like ripping the part of his brain that registered it.

"I'm going with you" I said again, turning my eyes back to hers.

She stared at me for a moment, and then sighed, surrendering the fight.

"Alright, then. Get your stuff ready. We'll wait for you downstairs." She turned to walk away but stopped just before the door and looked back at me. "Thanks" she smiled.

I turned and packed only my essentials wondering the whole time what it was that Eric wanted from her and why he repeated Bella's name in his head. I suppose I shouldn't give a shit about that second thought, but I did. I hated to hear her name be spoken by him or by any foreign tongue. It was stupid and selfish of me but I truly couldn't help it. At least this trip will put more time and space between me and her and right now, it's exactly what I needed.

* * *

_Alice's POV:_

I couldn't understand what was the reason of Edward's sudden onslaught of dickly behavior. It's as if a fuse went out in his head. What the fuck! I mean, I get that must be hard to try to go back to normal, post-Gabriel, but he wanted this. He wanted her and Lucian. And now, he's turned into a fucking man-whore!

"It's just not fair, Jasper" I said, as he stroked my hair on his lap.

"It's not. You're right. But it's not fair in all directions" he said.

"What do mean?"

"Well, just as it's not fair to Bella, especially after she flew all the way out there, neither is it fair to him to have to have waited for so long."

"For crying out loud, she just had a baby! Do you know how weird that would be to pop out a kid and then hop right into bed with someone else?" I asked incredulously.

"And do you know how hard it is to have to watch the woman you love most, give birth to a child that's not your own."

I give it to him. He made a point.

"I still say he could've gone about it differently. I mean, on his first night there, he goes out and gets laid! And what's worse is that I have to see him in my head. Do you have any idea how disturbing it is to watch your own brother having sex?"

"Like I said… it's not fair in all directions."

I sighed heavily, frustrated with the whole situation.

"Do you think they'll ever get back together?" I asked.

"I hope so. I mean, it's not like we're going to stop talking to Bella. And it's not like he'll ever leave Carlisle."

"He has before… when he left to Alaska when he first met her."

"Yeah, but even then you knew he'd come back. Carlisle made him. Trust me, he won't be able to part from him."

"Well, what about us? I mean, I don't know my creator and yours is dead."

"Alice, I don't want to talk about this, really" he said, frowning.

"Why not? " I asked dubiously. He looked like something was wrong. Like I said something that bothered him. I sat up facing him.

"Jasper? What's wrong?"

He didn't meet my gaze, instead, stared straight ahead to nowhere.

"Jasper?"

"My creator is dead, much to my contentment. However, we don't know who your creator is or whether it was a man or a woman. If your creator ever comes back to you and claims you…" he drifted off.

I understood his silence. He was afraid of losing me. This is why he got so anxious whenever I went away for long. He was always worried I wouldn't come back. I didn't talk about it anymore and I tried to change the subject.

"So… given that I helped turn Bella, she will never leave then" I beamed.

"Wrong."

I frowned back at him. "How so?"

"Edward's venom dominates yours by sex. Him being male and Bella being female, her blood yields to him" he said, taking in my blank expression before adding… "Meaning… Edward is her creator. Whether or not she possesses Gabriel's blood, no matter how strong and unique it may be… it is Edward that is her creator. He can claim her whenever he wishes too. The part that baffles me is that Gabriel allowed it. Gabriel could have easily turned her if he wanted to. His will dominates his every cell of his body. Yet, he stepped back and let Edward be the one to turn her."

I was stunned. _Edward is her creator? _

"But I thought Carlisle said Gabriel was non-venomous" I frowned.

"Carlisle didn't really know much about him. In fact, no one did. Gabriel kept many things about himself hidden, for whatever reason. But Gabriel's venom is extremely lethal. He was able to turn Charlie in less than an hour, whereas an ordinary vampire transformation can take up to a week. Perhaps it is the reason he didn't use it against anyone. Who knows?"

"But how could he control it, though?"

"Baby, you're talking about a man who was able to control earth, wind and fire and transform into practically anything. He could easily manipulate anything, even that of his own venom."

I thought about it for a while, thinking back to the night we found him, hunched over Bella's lifeless body, his pain so evident as he cried for her. None of it made sense. Why would he not have turned her then, knowing that he could? Why would he step aside and let Edward turn her, knowing that she would be his to claim?

"Does Edward know this?" I asked.

"He knows that he's her creator and he knows that Gabriel is venomous but I'm not sure if he's given thought to my observation, which is why I'm as lost as you are on this whole situation. It's so obvious that Gabriel didn't want to turn her. I just don't get it" he said shaking his head.

We didn't talk about it anymore. We just sat there deep within our thoughts, his back against the headboard and my head on his lap as he stroked my hair. I just couldn't get used to seeing Bella and Edward this way. They were always so close, so in sync. It really pained me to have to see them both going through this. I know he loves her, no matter how many chics he bangs, and I know she loves him, no matter how much she denies it to herself. If only there was a way to fix it for once and for all, to put humpty-dumpty together again.

I began to feel my tension melt away as Jasper moved his fingers to my throat, rubbing little circles on it. He slowly inched his way down to my collar bone, gliding his finger across out twice before slipping his hand under my neckline and working his way to my breast, all the while his calm was in full affect.

"You know," I said, as he circled my nipple with the light touch of his finger tip, "you really don't have to work your charm on me."

"Is that so?" he mused softly, nibbling at my ear.

"Nope" I said, feeling so relaxed.

"I thought you liked it when I soothed you."

"I do, but you can't enjoy it back."

"You're wrong" he murmured.

"Think about it, if you soothe me out so much that I can't really show you just how much I want to please you."

"Turn around" he ordered softly and immediately - I felt his calm retract. I straddled myself over his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. He hung his head back, gazing up at me idly for a long moment.

"God, I love you" he finally said, staring up at me with such awe.

"I love you more" I said, bringing my lips to his. He kissed me softly, sucking at my bottom lip as he glided his fingertips up and down my spine. It was kisses like these that had more effect on me than his calming ability. But then he slid his tongue into my mouth, and it was kisses like these that made me want to combust. He swirled his tongue lazily against mine as I writhed in lap, making him groan in my mouth.

"You're a frightening little monster" he said without leaving my lips.

"That was just the opening act" I smiled, sucking on his bottom lip. He chuckled softly against my lips.

"The stage is yours then. Bring on the show."

And I did just that.

* * *

_**Thank you for everyone who has added my story to thier favorites and alerts. I'm even more flattered by those who've added me to thier favorite authors hall of fame! WoW! I'd love to know what you think of the story so far. Your reviews are very much appreciated.**_

_**Thanks again P for not strangling me over my indescicions and last minute toss-ups. **_

_**More to follow soon...**_


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